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This film, as many on Manoel de Oliveira filmography, was made on a small budget, and it shows.

Nevertheless tells a story based on a investigation that proves Colombo was Portuguese. Under a secret mission (working for Portuguese crown) trying to create a diversion for Spanish.

Whilst Portuguese were making huge profits from the India maritime route (through South Africa), and knowing South America richness (gold, wood, and many other valuable goods), Spanish were sent on a (supposedly) wrong direction.

Bad luck (or not?!?) they found new land. Carabean islands including Cuba. This is what makes it all interesting: this island was named be Colombo wish; why? Because there's a small village in Portuguese Alentejo, named...you guessed: Cuba! And there are also investigations showing this theory has every aspect to be right. Of course, Portuguese XVth century intelligence tried to delete all traces to Colombo genealogy.

And there is no interest (Spanish and Italian) to investigate this theory deeply. That's why Colombo is still and hero claimed by many (Spain, Italy and USA) although the truth is probably a completely different story...

I am fed up with american WWII films showing their heroes and twisted history, so this film is a must see. Romance and plot is not true, but all background action is superb, the houses, cars, clothes, even the Enigma and all decoders replica.

The film is not probably a master piece, but it shows what should had been the 40's in Bletchley Park, where the genius Alan Turing among many other matematicians and engineers were decoding german messages while inventing the foundations of modern computers mathematics.

Even the computer invent, normally credit to americans, was greatly developed in Station X (Bletchley Park code name). Unfortunately all was destroyed and no copies were made after the war. So most of that work was unknown until a few years when many archives were de-classified after 50 years of the events.

Bletchley Park has now a museum a edited a documentary available in VHS (I had the fortune of viewing it) highly recomended, both the film and a visit.

This Enigma movie is a soft plot worth by the historical set.

7 out of 10

Jô Soares, famous Brazilian comic actor and writer, created the most unlikely Sherlock Holmes. Joaquim de Almeida performs beautifully with his perfect British accent.

The set is perfect in all details showing a fantastic production

without concessions of any kind. I had the luck of witness filming of some scenes in Porto where minor details were of great concern to the wardrobe and make-up team. Also in the re-creation of many artefacts used in the set.

Although a comedy, this movie never falls to the "easy laugh" thus creating subtle cross-references such as the birth of famous Brazilian cocktail 'Caipirinha' or explaining the myth of Jack the Ripper.

A "must see" for everyone looking for a good time and also to learn

some historical facts about Brazilian independence from Portugal as well as the style of living in the late 1800's. One must keep in mind that Portugal (followed by Brasil) was the first country to abolish slavery.