"Brazil, when hearts were entertained in June, we stood beneath the amber moon, and softly whispered someday soon..."
Ary Boroso's classic tune provides the aural backdrop for Brazil, the comic fantasy directed by Monty Python alum Terry Gilliam. The second in Gilliam's loosely related trilogy (along with Time Bandits and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen), Brazil is a masterpiece of modern cinema, an epic Orwellian fairy tale that succeeds as blistering satire, moving romance, delirious fantasy, and heartbreaking caveat. My favorite film of all time (a position shared with Amadeus), I would recommend Brazil to absolutely everybody.
Set somewhere in the 20th century at 8:49 p.m., the film depicts a few days in the life of petty clerk Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) who, while attempting to rectify a sizable bureaucratic error for his incompetent boss (Ian Holm) at the Ministry of Information, finally happens upon the girl of his dreams (Kim Greist).
Gilliam's inspired direction, a kind of moderated lunacy, breathes humanity into Brazil's stark landscape. As if the sheer spectacle of Gilliam's fantastic creation weren't enough to indulge movie fans, Brazil also tips its hat to a number of cinema classics, from Casablanca to The Battleship Potemkin. Jonathan Pryce's portrayal of Sam Lowry -- an unforgettable amalgamation of Walter Mitty, Sam Spade, and Buster Keaton -- remains one of the great overlooked performances in recent film. And that's to say nothing of the wonderful supporting turns by Robert DeNiro and Michael Palin.
**The Criterion 3-DVD boxset of Brazil gives me hope for this world. It's the best DVD product I've seen on the market, with more extras than you can shake a stick at.**
In sum, the movie is not only a perfect parable of postmodern plight -- it is a celebration of the magic of film itself.
"Now, when twilight gleams from skies above, recalling thrills of our love, there's one thing I'm certain of...
Brazil is a surrealistic nightmare vision of a 'perfect' future where technology reigns supreme. Everyone is monitored by a secret government agency t...More at NBC Universal
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.