Red carpet(Tapete Vermelho)
Director: Luis Alberto Pereira
Cast: Matheus Nachtergaele, Gorete Milagres, Vinicius Miranda
Language: Portugese
Running time: 100 mins

This is the story of Quinzinho, a redneck from a small village Famuso in Brazil. He admires and styled himself upon the old comic great of Brazilian cinema, Mazzaropi and he wants his son to experience the magic of this actor of Chaplin's proportions. He makes a promise to his son that he would take him to a nearby town and show him one of Mazzaropi's Films on his 10th birthday. Only, most of the theaters in the neighboring towns have either been converted into superbazaars or into churches. Quinzinho's wife is a healer and is against this sight-seeing, movie-watching trip of his. 'Lets take a vacation and unwind, I can afford it', Quinzinho insists. Picking vegetables in the garden and shopping for groceries is fun for me, she says but goes with them anyway, along with their donkey, which they all insist is part of their family. And so begins this saga of their journey from the village into the neighboring towns in search of a Mazzaropi movie. And what a fulfilling ride it is.

Red Carpet would be my pick for the Golden Peacock at the iffi in the competitive section. Matheus who played Quinzinho is all set to pick the best actor award for the funny and intense performance he has given. His gait is so funny that you have to see it to believe it. It is as if he is being pulled by his pecker. And his drooling diction with wise cracks is hilarious. He reminded me of the great Telugu comedy actor Padmanabham. One look at him is all that is required to get you into splits.

Director Luis Alberto Pereira was there at the screening and told us that he himself is a huge fan of Mazzaropi and he wanted to make a film on him. Alberto became famous with his 'janio a 24 quadros', a documentary about 30 years of Brazilian politics with which he won awards and accolades in Brazil. Later he directed films like 'Efeito Ilha, O' which was a Sci fi fantasy and 'Hans Staden' which won him Best Director award in Brazil. Even in 'Red Carpet(Tapete Vermelho)', Alberto makes criptic commentary on the state of Brazilian cinema in how the theaters now only play the new pop cultured cinema. The film also deals with the differences in the lifestyles and belief systems of the rural and urban classes of Brazil. When Mani, the cart driver in the town says that he doesn't have a home of his own and that he is fighting with the government to let him have the piece of land among the settlements where they are dwelling now, Quinzinho compassionately asks his wife to give Mani an apple and at parting time tells Mani that if he ever visits Famuso, his house is there for the stay. When a restaurant employee tries to make fun of Quinzinho, he replies proudly saying, "well, I may be a redneck but I don't work for nobody and live in my own house".

Their search for the movie theatre goes crazy when Quinzinho meets the devil who asks him to make a pact with him(symbolic of the city culture's allure) for returns of getting magical guitar playing abilities(Quinzinho himself is a decent guitar player and it is interesting how stranger after stranger is ready to accomodate Quinzinho by saying, 'well there is always a place for a guitar player'). Quinzinho resists the temptation, Quinzinho's son goes missing, his donkey is stolen by a conman along with their food and clothes and Quinzinho gets arrested for trouble making. How does Quinzinho manages to get his life and family back, how does he smarten up and beat the city denizens at their own game, these are some of the very interesting things in this Film. Red Carpet is in the traditions of 'Cinima paradiso'(there is even a tribute paying shot) and 'starmaker' and is fun to watch.

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