Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Fados by Carlos Saura

Trust me on this, it's worth changing your Wednesday or Thursday plans to catch the new film by Carlos Saura called Fados. Fado is a Portuguese style of song and the film highlights the many different ways this style can be presented. Saura is a Spanish filmmaker whose interest in music and dance has long been documented on film, from his famous Flamenco Trilogy (Blood Wedding, Carmen, and El Amor Brujo) through Flamenco (de Carlos Saura) and Tango and now to this film, which is playing at the Starz Theaters at 7Pm Wednesday and Thursday before the print must move on. The film consists simply of singers and musicians playing their own take on the Fado style while Saura's stunning camera work and lovely backgrounds highlight both them and the dancers who also interpret the songs.



There are standout performances from Mariza (whose new album Terra I think I'll now have to check out), from the great Lila Downs, from Caetano Veloso, from Chico Buarque plus archival footage of the Queen of Fado, Amalia Rodrigues. And that only scratches the surface of the terrific stuff here - my favorite two performances are from singers whose names I don't know yet. Remember, act fast or you'll have to live with the regret of not seeing this gorgeous film on the big screen it deserves to be seen on.

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