América

One of the things I have enjoyed in Summer visits to Brazil is the featured soap opera. It usually makes for a focus of issues to discuss with people throughout Brazil as a sort of cultural link. This particular soap opera was barely tolerable. Characters are over-dramatic in almost ballet or silent film body gestures and the script is predictable, awash in stereotypes and exaggerated sob stories about general causes.

Screen movements are not realistic, they are more like classic theater. Camera shots fall short of their intent as artistic framing and often are overdone to the point of provoking laughter.

The concept of the cultural interchange between the US and Brazil could have been very interesting and insightful. This program makes it easy to be doing something else. It is a sad contrast to the likes of Mulheres Apaixonadas, Esperança or A Muralha.