LOWER CITY (ON DVD)

A lusty little romp through human behavior and weak relationships.

Lower City revolves around three people in the smaller city of Salvador, Brazil where the humidity is high and everyone is hot and bothered. The three main characters are no exception. Two best friends are challenged by their love of the same woman. Their life long friendship is tested in a new way and the film revolves around the emotions felt by everyone involved.

This film is lacking something and it is hard to say exactly what it is. I think the story is just a little too weak. There are intense scenes of passion and lust that seem to terminate early with no revealing climax; much like the film overall. Alice Braga as the lover of the two friends really stands out in this film. She gave a noteworthy and award winning performance. The story just does not flow well through all these zealous characters though. Their relationships do not feel real. Their actions feel forced and planned out carefully. I did not enjoy watching the relationships depicted because I kept waiting for something more to happen and it never did.

The cinematography is wondrous conversely and plops the viewer right down into Salvador. Rich colors, shaky camera shots, and intense close ups make it a pleasure to watch. By the end of the film I had gotten to know the characters so well physically that I realized I could not grasp them psychologically, and this really left a void in my mind.

Director Sérgio Machado has little experience so far in the mainstream film world. I am however anxious to see what will develop from him in the future. He has made a decent attempt to tell the story of Lower City. But despite the interesting characters, exotic setting, and having plenty to work with I felt as though the story was not told properly or convincingly. Several people working on this film also worked on such great films as City of God and Motorcycle Diaries so I had high hopes for this one, but in the end it just fell short.


GRADE: C

TRAILER: http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/lowercity/trailer/