Genre: Foreign Films
Starring: Negra Li, Cindy, Leilah Moreno, Quelnyah, Marcus Vinicius Kamau
Each of the stars and most of the supporting players are real-life rappers/singers and not professional actors, adding to the improvisational-seeming naturalism that gives the movie an exotic insider feel.
The music, rhythms, and vibrant colors of the city are beautifully woven into cinematographer Jacob Sarmento Solitrenick's unobtrusive handheld camera work.
Antonia explores cultural and sexual oppression with sensitivity and verve. The story may lack complexity, but it is loaded with irrepressible energy and a deep appreciation of female friendship. And that’s always something to sing about.
Top Critic ...a raw reality underscored by believable performances by nonprofessional actors.
...the unpolished actors and raw São Paolo setting offer an unusually authentic feel.
It's amazing what a limited runtime can do to focus a storyline.
Top Critic The music, rhythms and vibrant colors of the city are beautifully woven into cinematographer Jacob Sarmento Solitrenick’s unobtrusive hand-held camerawork, while director/co-writer Tata Amaral reveals a deft hand with actors.
With a charming quality, 'Antonia' avoids the triteness of many music films that touch on triumph, heartbreak, decline, and then a new, determined start.
A euphoric celebration of the rough road to womanhood and at the same time a biting critique of machista culture, Antonia is a brave, inspired antidote to current misogynistic Brazilian film fare.
Rather weird for an overcoming-the-odds flick in that the newcomers cast in the starring roles are obviously attempting to achieve in real-life what the characters they're portraying are trying to do in the saga on screen.
The style of Antonia, like the melodramas that simmer at its center, is neither smutty nor glorifying, sensitively keyed to the struggles of its working-class characters.
Um grupo musical formado por jovens mulheres negras de origem humilde que precisam lutar contra vários preconceitos em sua trajetória profissional: Dreamgirls? Não, muito melhor: Antônia, que deixa o filme de Bill Condon no chinelo.
Pic's depiction of rising above is less a candy-coated inspirational pill and more a piece of solid dramatic fiction.
Top Critic
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