''Meu Tio Matou um Cara'' () is a 2004 Brazilian
crime comedy film
Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as drama or gangster film, but als ...
co-written and directed by
Jorge Furtado. It follows the adventures of 15-year-old Duca (
Darlan Cunha) and his two friends after his uncle, Eder (
Lázaro Ramos
Luís Lázaro Sacramento de Araújo Ramos (born 1 November 1978) is a Brazilian actor, television presenter, director, writer, and voice actor. He started his acting career with the Flock of Olodum Theater group, in Salvador, and is best known ...
), confesses to his family of having shot a man. However, Duca suspects that his uncle's story about killing his lover's ex-husband in
self-defense
Self-defense (self-defence primarily in Commonwealth English) is a countermeasure that involves defending the health and well-being of oneself from harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of Force (law), ...
is not entirely truthful and so sets out to solve the mystery.
Plot
After Eder shows up and confesses to what he has done. Duca's father, Laerte, calls his lawyer friend to help Eder prepare his
defense
Defense or defence may refer to:
Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups
* Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare
* Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks
* Defense industr ...
. Duca then goes to his long-time friend Isa's house, for whom he secretly has feelings, to tell her about the excitement. Soon afterwards, his other friend Kid arrives as well, and they explain the story to him as well. Duca sees Kid touch Isa's shoulder, though, and becomes jealous so he decides to return home.
The following day, Duca talks with Isa again, and his skill for detective work by spotting flaws in her story that she did not spend much time with Kid after Duca left; he does not mention this to her, though, and finds out the truth from Kid later while they are shopping for CDs.
As the story develops, Duca continues to try to subtly keep Isa and Kid from getting together due to Isa's obvious attraction to Kid, while simultaneously looking into the murder. To this end, Duca asks permission to visit Eder in jail.
Isa eagerly volunteers to go along on the adventure, and they set out the following day. When they meet Eder, he asks Duca to give a message to his lover. Eder asks Duca to tell her not to visit him while he is in jail, and to tell her that he is fine. On the way back, Isa remembers the
Pokémon
is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...
pen that was confiscated from her and they return to the jail to retrieve it. Since they took the bus through a dangerous part of town, they are forced to walk the distance. The two encounter a group of men who aggressively hit on Isa, causing her to run away.
The next day at school, she brags about her adventure, embellishing the details greatly to her friends. Duca remains silent, but when pressed for details himself, he disagrees with Isa, and she storms away angrily. Attempting to get past the incident, he pretends it never happened, to the annoyance of Isa. Kid, however, is eager to have an adventure of his own and so agrees to travel to Eder's girlfriend's condo and relay the message.
After locating Eder's Lover, Soraya, they are allowed up by the
doorman A doorman, also known as doorkeeper, is someone who is posted at, and often guards, a door, or by extension another entrance (specific similar terms exist, e.g. gatekeeper, hall porter). Specific uses include:
Professions
* Doorman (profession), ...
. She answers her door scantily clad, and invites the boys in. They relay the message, to her general disinterest, and she requests that Duca repair her automatic pool cleaning device—a product of Eder's that failed to sell well. Out by her pool, Duca notices several items which lead him to believe another man is living with Soraya. Moving inside, his suspicions are confirmed when he sees a tattooed male arm answering a phone downstairs. While leaving, they accidentally track soil from a broken vase over the carpet downstairs to the fury of the doorman. They flee, giving Kid something to brag about at school the next day as well.
Duca again visits his uncle, and this time asks him more questions. He decides that Eder is lying about his involvement and is covering for Soraya, who Duca believes is the true killer. Duca believes that his uncle is taking the fall for a woman who is being unfaithful to Eder and may be simply using Eder. He believes that Eder would never take Duca's word for it about the man living with Soraya, and so he goes about hiring a private investigator to obtain photographic evidence.
Meanwhile, during the investigation, Duca is worried that an upcoming party will lead to Isa and Kid getting together at last, so he craftily plays
matchmaker with Kid and another classmate. However, upon seeing how unhappy Isa becomes after watching the two dance, Duca helps to repair the situation and leaves the party with his two friends dancing closely together.
When the investigator shows the photographs, Duca is surprised to find it showing Kid back at Soraya's condo. The series of pictures seems to suggest that the two had sex, and when Isa asks to see the photographs, Duca refuses to show them, causing yet another fight between the two friends.
Duca mails the photographs to Eder, hoping it will convince him to tell the truth to the police, and he remains not on speaking terms with his two friends for nearly a week. Isa, hoping to make up, comes to his house and has lunch with Duca and his family. Eder shows up, having obtained
Habeas corpus
''Habeas corpus'' (; from Medieval Latin, ) is a legal procedure invoking the jurisdiction of a court to review the unlawful detention or imprisonment of an individual, and request the individual's custodian (usually a prison official) to ...
pending his trial. He has not yet opened the package containing the photographs Duca sent him, and becomes furious upon seeing them. He rushes from the house intent on killing both his girlfriend and her new lover. Isa also sees the pictures as well and is also crushed.
Duca convinces her that they must go to Soraya's condo, though, to try to stop Eder from doing something foolish. Eder, meanwhile, attacks the man living with his girlfriend and discovers that it is Fabio, Soraya's brother. The man in the pictures, however, is Kid (although the two do resemble each other). Soraya explains the series of photographs with an innocent story; but Duca can see that she is lying. As usual, though, he does not mention it to anyone. Eder and his girlfriend make up, and Duca decides to keep Soraya's secret seeing Eder so happy. Isa and Kid also break up, though Kid tells Duca privately that he had misread the situation and never had sex with Soraya. Isa informs Duca that she and Kid broke up, to which Duca offers condolences. Isa asks him if that is really how he feels and Duca admits that he is happy they are no longer together. The film ends with the two friends kissing and Eder's fate still unknown.
Cast
*
Lázaro Ramos
Luís Lázaro Sacramento de Araújo Ramos (born 1 November 1978) is a Brazilian actor, television presenter, director, writer, and voice actor. He started his acting career with the Flock of Olodum Theater group, in Salvador, and is best known ...
as Éder Fragoso
*
Darlan Cunha as Luiz Eduardo "Duca" Fragoso
*
Deborah Secco
Deborah Fialho Secco (born 26 November 1979) is a Brazilian actress. She became known in 1994 as one of the protagonists of the teen series Confissões de Adolescente. On television, she played successful characters such as Íris in '' Laços ...
as Soraya Wolker
* as Isa
* Renan Gioelli as Leonardo "Kid"
*
Dira Paes
Ecleidira Maria Fonseca Paes (born 30 June 1968), known professionally as Dira Paes, is a Brazilian actress and television presenter. Among the numerous awards and nominations she has received, Paes won the Best Actress and Best Supporting Act ...
as Cléia Fragoso
*
Aílton Graça as Laerte Fragoso
*
Júlio Andrade
Júlio Andrade (born 8 October 1976) is a Brazilian actor and director. He has already been nominated twice to the International Emmy Award for Best Actor for his role in '' 1 Contra Todos''.
Career
Started acting for television in the miniseri ...
as Detective Cícero
* Sergio Lulkin as Dr. Rogério
* Suelen de Sá as Ana Paula
Music
* "Soraya Queimada" – Zéu Britto
* "Pra te lembrar" –
Caetano Veloso
Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso (; born 7 August 1942) is a Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist, writer, and political activist. Veloso first became known for his participation in the Brazilian musical movement Tropicália, which encompas ...
* "É tudo no meu nome" –
Rappin' Hood
Antônio Luiz Júnior (born November 7, 1971), better known by his stage name Rappin' Hood, is a Brazilian rapper, singer, record producer, activist and former television presenter. He is famous for being a pioneer of the samba-rap in the mid- to ...
* "Barato total" –
Gal Costa
Gal Maria da Graça Costa Penna Burgos (born Maria da Graça Costa Penna Burgos; 26 September 1945 – 9 November 2022), known professionally as Gal Costa (), was a Brazilian singer of Música popular brasileira, popular music. Twelve-times Bra ...
e
Nação Zumbi
Nação Zumbi (formerly Chico Science & Nação Zumbi) is a Brazilian band formed by Chico Science. They have been hailed as one of the most important groups to come out of the manguebeat movement in the 1990s. The musicians of the group continu ...
* "(Nothing But) Flowers" –
Caetano Veloso
Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso (; born 7 August 1942) is a Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist, writer, and political activist. Veloso first became known for his participation in the Brazilian musical movement Tropicália, which encompas ...
* "Meu Tio Matou um Cara" – Sangue Moloko
* "Se essa rua" –
Rappin' Hood
Antônio Luiz Júnior (born November 7, 1971), better known by his stage name Rappin' Hood, is a Brazilian rapper, singer, record producer, activist and former television presenter. He is famous for being a pioneer of the samba-rap in the mid- to ...
and
Luciana Mello
Luciana Mello (born January 22, 1979) is a Brazilian singer and professional dancer.
Mello began her musical training early in life, taking voice and dance lessons. As a child, she sang in choirs and later performed in musical
Musical is the a ...
* "Suas armas" –
Pitty
Priscilla Novaes Leone (born October 7, 1977), better known as Pitty, is a Brazilian Rock music, rock singer.
She had played in two bands, Shes and Inkoma, before starting her solo career in 2003. She has sold over 2 million copies in her care ...
* "Por onde andei" –
Nando Reis
Nando Reis (, born José Fernando Gomes dos Reis; January 12, 1963) is a Brazilian musician and producer, best known as the former bassist and one of the lead singers of Brazilian rock band Titãs and for his successful solo career, with his own ...
* "Habla de mí" –
Orquestra Imperial
* "A cidade (Se essa rua)" – Instrumental
References
External links
*
*
{{Jorge Furtado
2004 films
2004 crime comedy films
2000s Brazilian films
2000s comedy mystery films
2000s Portuguese-language films
Brazilian crime comedy films
Brazilian comedy mystery films
Films about adultery
Films directed by Jorge Furtado
Films set in Brazil
Films shot in Porto Alegre