637. The Man Who Copied (2003)

Starring: Lázaro Ramos, Reneta de Lélis, Sérgio Lulkin

Director: Jorge Furtado

Running Time: 124 mins

The Man Who Copied (O Homem Que Copiava) is a Brazilian film about a young man living in a poor area of Porto Alegre, who falls in love with a woman he spies on through a telescope from his apartment, and after copying some banknotes in order to get close to her, he discovers that there are many ways to get money quick…

This film is simply fantastic! I was hugely entertained by the whole thing. It looks at the rise of crime in poverty-stricken areas in Brazil, however it doesn’t take a hard-hitting, terribly dark approach to it all, but instead adds comedy and a truly touching romance to the mix, which turns it into not only an intriguing story, but brilliantly enjoyable.

One of the most fascinating things about this entire film is the internal conflict that you experience with regard to the main character. While he is effectively a criminal, copying and forging banknotes and passing them off as real, along with a whole host of gradually worse crimes, the fact that you get to know him in such an intimate way, you really end up cheering him on.

Coupled with the fact that you do see that he isn’t a full-blown criminal, he was just in a desperate situation, and you see quite a sweet romance story between himself and his love, there is no way that you can really criticise him, however you do feel a certain sense of guilt for supporting a man who has made his way by breaking the law.

Despite that, the story as a whole is hugely interesting, because it touches on the topic of how poverty drives crime, while it’s also extremely exciting to watch, as it ramps up the stakes at every turn, it’s totally unpredictable and ultimately a total thriller.

But the reason that this is so enjoyable to watch is the fact that it’s comedic and cleverly romantic at the same time as thrilling. This means that, while you’re watching what is quite a hard-hitting story unfold, it feels a little more light-hearted, with a few laughs, and nice-ish relationships, making it overall extremely enjoyable, and that’s why it gets an 8.3.