Madame Sata Movie Review 2002

Frist feature for director Karim Ainouz is a stylized portrait of Joao Francisco dos Santos, who became a legend in the slums and prisons of Brazil as both a criminal and the cabaret performer Madame Sata. The film covers a period in 1930s Rio showcasing Joao's (Ramos) life at the Blue Danube club where he performs and the boarding-house where he lives with his ready-made family--hooker Laurita (Cartaxo) and her baby daughter and flamboyant hustler Taboo (Bauraqui). Ramos gives a compelling performance of a sometimes violent character who lives his life without apologies. Portuguese with subtitles.

Distribution

Wellspring Media, A Division of Genius Products, Inc., 2230 Broadway, Santa Monica, CA 90904, Phone: (310)453-1222, Fax: (310)453-0074, URL: http://www.wellspring.com

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 105 minutes.
Originally from Brazilian, French.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Rio, Period Piece: 1930s, Gays, Gender Bending, Nightclubs, Biopics: Showbiz, Biopics: Cops & Robbers, Hard Knock Life

Screenplay

Karim Ainouz

Cast

Lazaro Ramos, Marcella Cartaxo, Flavio Bauraqui, Felippe Marques

Cinematography

Walter Carvalho

Director

Karim Ainouz

Music

Marcos Suzano, Sacha Ambak

Other

ALoysio Compasso, Isabela Monteiro de Castro, Rita Murtinho, Marcos Pedroso

Producer

Isabel Diegues, Mauricio Andrade Ramos, Donald Ranvaud, Marc Beauchamps, Walter Salles, VideoFilmes, Wild Bunch, Lumiere, Dominant 7, Wellspring Media