Momentos de Prazer e Agonia (1983)



(AKA Moments of Pleasure and Agony) A Brazilian giallo about... well, it's about what all giallos are about: women getting killed by a mysterious slasher.














































CHARACTERS
RATING: ☆☆☆☆ 4/10

REVIEW: Well this goes to show how subjective and worthless reviews are.  I hated this movie, but I looked back at my review from a couple years ago and to quote: "This ruled. Sleazy as fuck, gory, tension filled, full of murder suspects, high energy, interesting characters, amazing setting... a total banger."  Um, was I high?  Maybe I just wasn't in the mood.  The film seemed to take an eternity to get going; nothing whatsoever happens of consequence until Rose is murdered, and my god it takes its sweet time to get there.  This movie sucked... but maybe in two years I'll like it again. Go figure.


ISMENIA KREIS


Ismênia Kreis is like Janet Leigh in Psycho where we follow her around for half the movie, and then she's abruptly killed.  The similarity I think is intentional - as is the slow pace up until her murder, where it turns on a dime and becomes a horror movie.  Kreis does a good job as a naive young girl with sexual confusion.  She provides full frontal nudity as she sunbathes, takes a shower (although a bit difficult to see) and then is discovered dead.  It's crazy that she never acted again.


Ismênia Kreis  is murdered while she's sunbathing nude. Her body is discovered by Lauro, and is the first murder of the film. 

 ELENA ANDREA


Elena Andrea was in five films and this was her last.  She's killed in the shower with a straight razor, then is basically laying there dead and naked for a long scene when Rodolfo is revealed as the killer.


SYNOPSIS


Marília (Rossana Ghessa) has left São Paulo for the country the country life in Rio Bonito, and is with eccentric farmer Rodolfo (Anthony Steffen). Rodolfo is a bit "off", but she loves him anyway. Rose (Ismênia Kreis) is a student on her way to school. Along the way she meets Lucinha (Elena Andrea) and her lesbian lover. Rose doesn't know what to make of this. Marilia is a teacher at Rose's school. Rose has lesbian tendencies as she has a crush on Marilia. After school, Rose goes back to the jungle paradise and strips to sunbathe. Lucinha and her lover Leila (Leila Correia) frolic in the waterfall then make love. Rose sunbathes, Then she goes to meet her lover. Lauro (Rinaldo Gines), Rose's lover, is a poor farmhand. He also seems to be part of a strange cult which sacrifices animals. Rose drops by her teacher Marilia's house. There, she takes a shower and Marilia washes her. Rodolfo is turning into a moody, unpleasant son of a bitch. Guests arrive. Marilia's former lover Renata (Fátima Leite) and her blind husband Hartur (Marcos Wainberg) have come to visit. Rose comes by to bring flowers to Marilia, but she's not home. She's greeted by Renata who's not particularly friendly. Rose goes back to sunbathe at her favorite spot. Marilia and Renata catch up, while Hartur sits there awkwardly. Marilia takes a shower. Then Marilia has sex with Rodolfo.

Lauro discovers something in the jungle. He tells Rodolfo what he's found and they go together. Rose has been murdered. Back at the house with Marilia, Renata and awkward Hartur. The ladies make love while Hartur sits there. The next day, Renata and Hartur go the waterfall. Renata skinny dips. Also at the waterfall, as usual, are Lucinha and Leila. Lauro joins them. Lauro and Leila go have sex. Lucinha hangs back. Renata is brutally murdered. Lucinha finds Renata's body. She runs frantically through the jungle to Marilia's place. Marilia confronts her, then finally they gather their wits. Lucinha is given a place to sleep for the night at Marilia's. Suddenly someone with a straight razor kills Lucinha in the shower. Rodolfo did it. He's the killer. Marilia finds Rodolfo beside Lucinha's dead body. Marilia gets the hell out of there. Rodolfo chases after her - but gives her a head start. They fight it out on a farm tractor, which ends up gutting Rodolfo when Marilia accidentally lands on a lever. THE END

Comments

Post a Comment