The movie: Lower City The director: Sergio Machado The stars: Alice Braga, Lazaro Ramos, Wagner Moura
Deco (Lazaro Ramos) and Naldhino (Wagner Moura) are lifelong friends eking out a meager living running cargo along the waterfront area of Salvador in the Brazilian state of Bahia. After agreeing to give a sultry hooker named Karinna (Alice Braga) a lift on their small boat in exchange for sexual favors, the two “brothers” soon become embroiled in battle for her affections. Unlike the classic love triangles of literature and cinema, in which two betray one, “Lower City” is driven by passion distributed equally. Making an impressive directorial debut, Sergio Machado coaxes fantastic performances out of his young cast and instills the entire production with a stark realism.
“Lower City” is an orgy of blood, sweat and tears fueled by sexual tension and the constant threat of violence, yet Machado also uses his characters and his camera to illuminate a delicate side to the dark, gritty environment they inhabit. Alice Braga, the 23-year-old niece of actress Sonia Braga (“Kiss of the Spider Woman”), deftly portrays Karinna as a real human being rather than the stereotypical prostitute we see so often in cinema. She wields her sensuality alternately as a weapon and a gift, and in the end it becomes a character in and of itself. Her male leads are equally up to task, their convincing camaraderie perhaps the result of being best buds in real life. The soundtrack, by Brazilian composer Carlinhos Brown, is a sonic smorgasbord of tribal rhythms, afro-jazz and trip-hop that perfectly complements director of photography Toca Seabra’s color-saturated visuals.
