The Man Who Copied (2003)

Highly Overrated But Still Good

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Andre is a young photocopier operator in Porto Allegre. He dreams of becoming rich and moving to Rio. He is almost overwhelmed by the minutiae of everyday life. His dream seems impossible until he becomes attracted to Sylvia, a clothing store cashier. His adventure begins with an idea to photocopy the money he needs to make a purchase at her shop, to impress her. The pace, editing, some film techniques and the music give the film a very modern feel and add to its appeal. The story is fun and almost whimsical (in the good sense). Note, Andre narrates throughout the film and sometimes it is difficult to read the subtitles as fast as he can talk. Like I read in another person's comment, this film makes me want to look for other Brazilian films. Highly recommended.

Andre, a young man who works in a small stationary store in Porto Alegre, Brazil, has to struggle to make ends meet. He lives with his mother, who we almost never see, but who we hear as she is retiring for the day. Andre, who spends most of his time in his room where he draws his own kind of comic books, discovers a beautiful young woman across the street. Since he can only see so much, he decides to follow her and get to know her. In watching the girl, Andre discovers her father, a security guard, spies on her while she is in the bathroom.As it turns out, Andre, who operates the photocopying machine at the store, gets to meet the object of his affection by following her all the way to the place where she works, where he pretends to be looking for a present for his mother. Since his funds are limited, and with the arrival of a new color machine, Andre finds a way to get his hands in some money, which involves copying a bill.At the same time, through Marines, a woman who works with Andre, he gets to meet Cardoso, a man who sees an opportunity to get rich in two ways, passing fake bills and even attempting to hold up a bank by surprising the guards. Andre loves to play the lottery. Cardoso and Andre come up with a solution in order to get Silvia away from the creepy Antunes, who turns out not to be her real father and go to Rio, something they both had planned to do. Imagine Andre's surprise when the combination he played at the lottery is the winner!Jorge Furtado, the director of this entertaining Brazilian film, shows he is a natural for this type of comedy. He was lucky in casting Lazaro Ramos to portray Andre. Mr. Ramos makes a wonderful contribution to the film. Leandra Leal, who is seen as Silvia, is also good. Luana Poivani and Pedro Cardoso are seen as Marines and Cardoso, who are also tied to all the action in the film.At the conclusion of the story we are shown how Silvia knew what Andre was up to from the start in a funny way. The comedy is recommended because of its well meaning fun it packs.

what i liked the most was the sincerity of the script. i usually figure out with at least 15 minutes before of what will happen next. so i focus on "the form", the presentation skills. and this movie is very creative. but i almost forgot to think forward because it caught me totally, so i just enjoyed every second of the movie at real intensity.spectacular moments of common people. you have "the advantage" of hearing the main character's thought and seeing what is in his mind. and the end you discover that from spier he is turned out into the spied person and you wonder how everything happened from Silvia's point of view. but of course, Andre makes a great story.

I don't know why, but there is something about 'losers' that makes them more likable. Of course we like to see successful people too, but you will never have that feeling that you have to help them or take care of them like you have with people who are having a hard time. Perhaps it is because most of us know all too well what it is not to have all the money you want to spend, not having the job of your dreams,... And that's exactly the situation the main character, André, is in.André is a nineteen year old, relatively poor kid who lives with his mother in a small apartment in Porto Alegre, Brazil. He works as a photocopier operator and in his free time he makes cartoons. When he falls in love with Silvia, a girl from the neighborhood that he spies on with a telescope, he needs money to spend in the store where she works. Money he doesn't have, but with a 50 real note and the photocopier he'll try to solve his problem. But then it all gets out of control, certainly when he decides that photocopying is not the only way of making money...Even though André is portrayed as a criminal in the movie, you'll cheer him on to succeed in his dreams and you'll hope that he doesn't get caught or get into serious trouble. I guess that's where the power of this movie can be found in. This is an excellent portrayal of a person with the heart on the right spot, but with too little money to realize his dreams and some stupid ideas to solve that problem. And not only André has been portrayed well. His friends are interesting to follow as well. There is something about all the characters that makes you wanting to know what happens with them in the next part of the movie.Next to the nice story and the fine characters, I also want to put some emphasis on the excellent way everything was shot. The mix of cartoon and real images makes this a special, but also very interesting movie. This certainly gives the movie something extra, something that you don't find in many other movies.In the end I can only say that this is another fine example of the Brazilian cinema. "Cidade de Deus" (aka City of God) was an immense success, but the maker of this one certainly doesn't have to be ashamed of what he has done either. I liked it a lot and it makes me look forward to other Brazilian movies. I give it an 8/10.