SYNOPSICS
Olhos Azuis (2009) is a English,Portuguese,Spanish movie. José Joffily has directed this movie. David Rasche,Cristina Lago,Irandhir Santos,Erica Gimpel are the starring of this movie. It was released in 2009. Olhos Azuis (2009) is considered one of the best Drama movie in India and around the world.
Before his compulsory retirement, on his last day of work, Marshall, JFK airport's chief Immigration officer, detains a group of Latin Americans and expose them to a series of humiliating situations. Blinded by prejudice, Marshall ends up causing the death of a young Brazilian. After a period in prison, Marshall goes to Brazil, deadly ill and in a desperate search in order to purge his guilt. In his quest, he is guided by Bia, a young prostitute.
Same Actors
Olhos Azuis (2009) Reviews
how can this movie only have so few votes?
I have used IMDb for many years, but never bothered to make an account. But Olhos Azuis is such an incredibly good movie that I had to make a review, hoping that this will help more people to get to know this film. I borrowed the DVD from a friend, but was sceptical and thought it might be some mediocre low-budget movie. But man, was I wrong! The cast is just great, all lead characters (and the rest as well) are played very convincingly. At times funny, at times very tough, this movie really left a mark on me. Its main topics are racism and abuse of power - which might sound a little boring - but believe me, you will get totally sucked into the action - and the political messages of it are IMHO very important in this the era of the American Empire ;) I am sure that if the movie wasn't so critical of the USA, it would have gotten a lot more attention in the media (outside of Brazil). As most of the dialogue is in English, you don't have to be Brazilian to understand it. So, do yourself a favour and watch this moving and utterly interesting movie if you get the chance!
Immigration, Dreams, Intolerance, Bigotry, Racism, Hatred, Mistrust, Regret and Quest for Redemption
On the last working day before the compulsory retirement, the bigoted and bitter US Chief of Costumers and Boarder Protection Marshall (David Rasche) confines a group of Latin American immigrants in the airport. While Officers Bob Estevez (Frank Grillo) and Sandra (Erica Gimpel) interview the immigrants to investigate their real intentions, the alcoholic Marshall humiliates them with his prejudice. When the Brazilian Nonato (Irandhir Santos), who has been living in North America for ten years and is the owner of a small catering for workers, presents his legal documents that prove that he is returning to America after visiting his daughter in Brazil, the abusive Marshall does not accept his documentation and degrades him and his private life with humiliations. Nonato argues with Marshall and has a nervous breakdown that leads the situation to a tragedy. Marshall is imprisoned and when he is released years later terminal with a tumor in the kidney, he travels to the Northeastern of Brazil to seek out Nonato's daughter Luiza. In Recife, he meets the young prostitute Bia (Cristina Lago) that agrees to guide him to Petrolina, where the Luiza lives, in a quest for redemption. "Olhos Azuis" is one of the best Brazilian films that I have recently seen, with a story about immigration, dreams, bigotry, racism, hatred, mistrust, regret and quest for redemption. Director José Joffily tells in the Making Of that this story was partially based on true events based on situations that travelers and immigrants have faced in the US Immigration. The non-linear screenplay keeps the viewer's attention until the very last scene. The performances are top-notch with America, Brazilian and Argentinean cast. The bitter dialogs are magnificent, and this film is a good sample for those that still believe that living abroad is easy. In the end, the blue eyes of Marshall and Luiza show that we are all equals no matter where we are born. My vote is nine. Title (Brazil): "Olhos Azuis" ("Blue Eyes")
A Good Movie
I've watched with vivid interest this movie, which I stumbled upon by pure chance. Three things caught my eye and attention: it talked about a theme which is usually left aside by commercial film makers, and second, because it involved people from Brazil, country where I live. I have been to the US as a visitor and I noticed some hidden or open hostility against foreigners, especially Latins. It's certainly no coincidence that kind of treatment, taking into account that we, Latins, are the last group in social and economic terms in American society. That perception is well shown in the movie. The 'integrated' Latin is the one who was born in the US, all the others are seen as intruders, most usually. That's also shown in the movie, which also depicts well the personal character of authority: people in charge of public jobs may often allow personal beliefs and perceptions interfere in their action. The third thing I noticed immediately is that the acting was very convincing and well-performed, although in some moments the script and its situations are difficult to be put on stage. It's, in my view, a good movie, which talks about an important and relevant situation.
ONE GREAT AMERICAN PEOPLE
David Rasche plays Marshall, a xenophobic customs/immigration officer. In his final day before retirement they toast his life with a little JD, something he indulges in a little too much. They select which people to harass by randomly picking their passports. Marshall's bad side comes out by pushing a Brazilian (Hector Bordoni) into an altercation which resulted in his death. While in prison, Marshall decides to make restitution to his Brazilian family by going there himself. In Brazil, he is aided by Bia, a prostitute (Cristina Lago). The story is told using flash backs. Marshall is searching for the daughter of the victim based upon some home film footage for some strange unexplained reason he was allowed to keep. The movie then flashes back to his last day at work in JFK immigration. Marshall is extremely over the line. I have doubts if someone who uses Latino slurs such as his, would even he working in such a position. I thought the acting was good, but the story was not compelling. We already knew the guy was dead, so when we got to that climax it was no surprise. IMDB has this film listed under its Spanish name "Olhos azuis." F-bombs, no sex, brief nudity (Christina Lago)
History, politics and sociology for bad teenage students.
A person with some experience in watching movies (any sort of movies) can grasp the whole plot in the first ten minutes. The screenplay is painfully schematic. There is the blue-eyed badly resolved character of an immigration officer, the refined but dishonest Argentine couple, the (of course !) patriotic Cuban girl, the silly uneducated group of generic Latin-Americans, the poor Brazilian prostitute, etc... Characters are just silly, sociology awfully simplified. The message seems, unfortunately, as moralistic as one can find in one of those fairytale books people read for three year old children: everybody is equal, but Americans are bad equals, in particular, rednecks. Ridiculous, to say the least. Just the same old (and bad) Soviet realism that curses Brazilian arts. I guess it can possibly have some sort of impact on a 13 year old reader of Las Venas Abiertas De La America Latina, but if you are (mentally) older than that it is just not worth your time.