Cinzas do Paraíso

Viewed this movie once, liked it so much I turned around and viewed it again. I would rate it on equal terms with LA Confidential and The Usual Suspects as one of the best modern crime movies. It is edited in style similar to Memento, looking backward while advancing toward the ending, and this worked to make it unpredictable and entertaining throughout. The movie was very well cast. Letitia Bredice in particular gave an outstanding performance as a highly sexy young woman, yet intelligent and deserving of sympathy in a Marilyn Monroe kind of role. Two other fine performances at the center of the story came from Cecilia Roth as a magistrate trying to work her way through a baffling crime and political interference, and Hector Alterio, also a magistrate, caught between his sense of duty and a situation increasingly threatening to his beloved sons. Highly recommended for lovers of crime movies.