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Once Upon a Time in Rio
🎬 Movie

Once Upon a Time in Rio

2008 · 117 min Drama
7.5 / 10 · TMDB

Situated just above the awe-inspiring Ipanema beach in Rio is the Cantagalo slum. Every day, floods of Cantagalo residents make their way down the mountain, only to disappear into their surroundings as part of the invisible working-class that cleans apartments, works in restaurants, and sells food along the scenic, sun-drenched shores. Young Dé (Thiago Martins) is just such a man. Dé lives with his mother Bernadette (Cyria Coentro) in a cramped Cantagalo apartment, selling hot dogs on the beach in order to make the rent. His brother Beto was killed when Dé was just a young boy, and his adopted brother Carlão (Rocco Pitanga) has been jailed for a robbery that he didn't commit. One day, while working on the beach, Dé meets Nina (Vitória Frate). Nina is the only child of a successful lawyer named Evandro (Paulo César Grande), who's none to happy to discover that his daughter is dating a member of the lower class. How...

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🎬 MovieFinder's Take

Once Upon a Time in Rio is a very strong film rated 7.5/10. Great direction and performances make this one well worth adding to your watchlist.

A high rating speaks for itself — this film found its audience and didn't let them down. Trust the collective taste.

A 2008 film from an era before CGI overload, with real performances that still hit hard. Best for: any evening when you want quality cinema with no compromises.

— MovieFinder Editorial

🎭 Cast

Thiago Martins

Thiago Martins

👤

Vitória Frate

Nina

Rocco Pitanga

Rocco Pitanga

Carlão

Paulo César Grande

Paulo César Grande

Evandro

Cyria Coentro

Cyria Coentro

Bernadete

👤

Luana Schneider

Cacau

👤

Fernando Brito

Beto

👤

Rodrigo Costa

Dé Pequeno

Augusto Zacchi

Augusto Zacchi

Alvaro

Kikito Junqueira

Kikito Junqueira

Café Frio

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