A friend from Australia asked me for a list of some great Brazilian and LA movies. This is what I’m sending her.
- Cidade de Deus
Brazil. Probably one of the best movies I ever saw. Very violent and based on real facts. Don’t miss it.
- El Abrazo Partido
Argentina. Beautiful. Simple and beautiful. The music matches perfectly all parts of the story. I saw it again this week, and it is still great.
- Nueve Reinas
Argentina. Very funny, and maybe one of the first of the new movie age from this country.
- Central do Brasil
Brazil. Outstanding drama that unfortunately lost Best Foreign Language Film in Oscar 1999 for Benigni’s La Vita è Bella. Central do Brasil deserved that prize.
- O Xangô de Baker Street
Brazil. Sherlock Holmes comes to Brazil to solve a case and gets enchanted by brazilian drinks, food and women, and almost loses its focus. This movie is useful for foreigners, and is good too.
- Whisky
Uruguay. Sad but very well done drama. In the end you won’t be sure if you hate it or love it.
- Abril Despedaçado
Brazil. The tough life of poor people in northeast of Brazil.
- Machuca
Chile. Social classes conflicts by the eyes of a child.
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- O Auto da Compadecida
Brazil. A funny movie that is a summary of a TV series. Adventures of two guys fighting for survival in the most bizarre ways. It is an adaptation of a very important brazilian play from the 70’s that shows many social and folk aspects of our country’s culture. The soundtrack is wonderful, by Sa Grama, a group focused on a very special type of brazilian folk lyric music. Non-brazilians may find difficult to understand the beauty of this movie, but give it a try.
- El Hijo de la Novia
Argentina. A very beautiful drama.
- Kamchatka
Argentina. Dictatorship and revolution being seen by the eyes of a child.
- Diários de Motocicleta
Brazil, Argentina. The Che Guevara movie.
- Pequeno Dicionário Amoroso
Brazil. A romantic story, from A to Z.
- Amores Perros
Mexico. Just watch it.
- O Quatrilho
Brazil. A well done drama about italian imigrants in southern Brazil. This movie could be shorter. Lost Best Foreign Language Film in Oscar 1996 for dutch’s Antonia. Indeed Antonia is a far better movie.
- Pantaleón y las Visitadoras
Not really great but just to put Peru in this map. Its a cute movie.
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I am not an expert, and I’m probably missing a few movies. And hope to see more suggestion in the
comments below.