"A bela e o Paparazzo" tell us the story of "Joao" (Marco D'Almeida) which is a paparazzo known as "Gabriela" which sells photos of celebrities to the "Fama" magazine (the kind of press that is always looking for news and pictures of those people, even if it's the most uninteresting thing about them – It's the "pink press" as we call it here in Portugal
). He's working now on "Mariana" (Soraia Chaves), a famous TV actress, pursuing her and taking shots of her. "Mariana" is famous but she hates all these "pink magazines" and getting her personal life exposed. One day, after she almost hit a taxi, she fights with the taxi driver and "Joao" goes help her. The taxi driver punches "Joao" and puts him bleeding. "Mariana" takes "Joao" to a hospital and a friendship starts rising. She doesn't know who he is of course
This film is essentially a romantic comedy about fame, celebrities and the troubles some famous people have because of that kind of press. I didn't appreciate this new work from Antonio-Pedro Vasconcelos that much! I find the movie very predictable, short (as it doesn't have too much to tell!) and not as funny as it tries to be. I heard a few times Vanconcelos saying that he likes the American cinema because it's simple and it wants to tell a story to entertain people (it's not as deep and/or "academic" as a great part of the European cinema); and in fact we can notice he does such kind of cinema and with a good level of quality. Films like "Os Imortais" or "Call Girl" (both written and directed by him) are good examples of what the Portuguese mainstream cinema should be. But now, with this film, Vasconcelos went on an adventure to a new genre of cinema: the comedy! And the experience, in my point of view was not great! Everything happens so easily, there isn't a credible explanation for the actions and the motives
I know it's a romantic comedy and everything in this cinematic genre is supposed to be light, colorful and easy to get, but I think in this movie the "light" factor is exaggerated. And it also lacks some intensity. Everything happens too fast and the end appears without notice in a very flat and unsatisfying way
The acting is regular from almost all actors; I just don't like the character of Nuno Markl! I think it's not as funny as it tries to be!
On a certain way I expected more from this movie, as I really did enjoy last Antonio-Pedro Vasconcelos' film "Call Girl". But after watch "A Bela e o Paparazzo" I definitely can't score it higher than 5/10, as it's just average!
