Foreign Land

Salles' second feature, fluently shot in b/w, focuses on Brazilian youth torn between the hardships of the newly democratic homeland and exile in the corrupted émigré sub-culture of Lisbon. The story eventually settles on a young man on a bungled smuggling operation to Portugal, who finds himself on the run with a disenchanted Brazilian woman. Their sudden plunge into violence and romance, as well as their struggle for identity, is reminiscent of Antonioni's The Passenger. Despite not quite steering clear of road movie clichés, the film's stylistic bravura, occasional moments of real humour and excellent performances are pretty invigorating.