The other day, I stumbled upon a massive film set right in the middle of Manhattan, which was evidently a Mark Wahlberg movie. When I went to look it up on IMDB, my jaw dropped when I saw his newest movie, due to be released in 2011: The Brazilian Job.
A sequel to The Italian Job, the movie stars Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Seth Green, and Jason Statham, who head to Rio to pull off their latest heist. According to IMDB, they're in the scripting phase, though there are rumors that the movie may not happen at all.
While it's exciting they're expected to film nearly the whole thing in Rio, I can't say I anticipate a very balanced view of Brazil or Rio. I'm guessing there will be lots of scantily-clad women, caipirinhas, favelas and thugs. But god help them if they cast Latin, non-Brazilian actors to play Cariocas, or worse--if they give the Brazilian characters lines in Spanish. It wouldn't be the first time for Hollywood.
This is exactly the worst kind of movie that could possibly come out just as Brazil is taking its place as a serious player on the world stage, since it will likely be a movie awash with the same stereotypes, misinformation, and misconceptions, especially about Rio. But given the amount of uncertainty surrounding the remake, it's possible it won't get made. For Brazil's sake, I hope it doesn't.
I've heard this isn't planned at all.
Posted by: beth | October 24, 2009 at 02:55 AM
RioGringa, you're right. One of my co-workers recently went to a conference in Rio and was surprised there were so many people with brown hair, as opposed to the black haired hispanics from El Salvador she thought Brazilians look like. She also said the bikinis at the beach were nothing scandalous (she has been to Miami) and did not understand why Brazilian women have the reputation of being slutty.
Posted by: Grace | October 24, 2009 at 12:19 PM
http://www.estadao.com.br/noticias/suplementos,o-risco-de-vestir-a-faixa-de-a-mais-feliz-do-mundo,456053,0.htm
Você deveria ler isto!
Bem, li o texto e só depois me atentei para o autor, Lobão! Me assustei! Nunca gostei de nada desse homem, mas concordo com 90% do que ele fala no texto, e digo mais, se aplica ao Brasil como um todo e não só no Rio de Janeiro. Espero que goste.
Posted by: Kleber | October 25, 2009 at 12:38 AM
I agree, it's not what Rio needs at all. And Woody Allen is apparently also interested in fiming here next. If he's thinking of anything along the lines of Barcelona in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, then that's really not something Rio needs either :)
Posted by: Lindsay | October 25, 2009 at 07:42 PM
Man, I'm so sick and tired of explaining to people that we don't speak Spanish and that there is no "brazilian look", that you can't tell a brazilian by His/Her face. And that my name is GONCALVES, not GONZALES.
But it seems that even in a multicultural city like San Francisco that's impossible. :(
Posted by: Marcio E. Goncalves | October 26, 2009 at 03:17 AM