col-klink

One good piece of my country's film making, "O Assalto ao Trem Pagador" is a story about a train robbery that focus on the relationship between the robbers after a successful action. The authorities are certain that a so well organized assault was carried out by professionals, probably foreigners. So the bunch is apparently out of risk. But the wish to spend the money is too strong and the gang leader, Tião Medonho (Eliezer Gomes), uses his feared reputation and disposition to kill to restrain and protect his group. Tião Medonho is a well-built character: a natural leader in the slam, he is at the same time fair, generous and brutal. The real matter is that only one of the robbers that looks like a out-of-the-slam type (Grilo Peru, played by Reginaldo Farias), he is white, blonde and has blue eyes, while the majority is black or looks too poor. Because of that, Grilo is the only one who can spend his share of the money as he wishes, without raising any suspicion. Beside of the fact that he is quite untouchable, because he is the only contact of the group with the "engineer": the brains of the gang. Looking quite American, it's not yet contaminated with socialist clichés that overtook almost 100% of Brazilian movies in the years to come. The shooting is very good and the Brazilian contradictions, both social and psychological, are well shown by the competent direction of Roberto Farias.

In this very sweet and charming picture, Claudette Colbert is Marilyn David, a girl divided between two men. One is an English nobleman traveling unknown (Lord Granton/Charles Gray, played by Ray Milland) and the other a friend reporter (Peter Daws, played by Fred MacMurray, in his good old American style). Colbert has a strong friendship bond with MacMurray - they meet each other every Thursday to sit on a bench, take off the shoes and eat popcorn while the world is passing by - while Milland is just that kind of guy women fall for. It is a lovely picture, with a predictable ending, but representing very well a reasonable woman exercising her selection privileges during the good old times, when marriage was meaningful and fidelity and trust where more valuable then gold. There is no use in putting here a good word for Colbert. After all, as everybody knows, she is just fantastic.

Les Anges Gardiens is one of the few french movies that I really like. The speed is the essential characteristic of this nervous and beautifully edited picture, and turns an simple mob plot into a wild parade of fast scenes, good dialogue and lovely half-dressed dames. Unfortunately, nothing is perfect. And in this picture's imperfections are precisely the guarding angels. Not too much for the angels themselves (they are supportable) but those special effects are almost offensive!