Following its US Premiere gala at MIFF 2012, Heleno opens at MDC’s Tower Theater and O Cinema Miami Shores on Friday, Dec. 7th. The life of Brazilian soccer star Heleno De Freitas, the pre-Pele idol of Rio de Janeiro sports fans, who shone briefly but brightly through the 1940s, is brilliantly suited to the classic, large-scale cinematic treatment it receives in this handsome, bio-drama from director José Henrique Fonseca.
In the title role, international box-office star Rodrigo Santoro (known in the US for his Hollywood appearances in Love Actually and What To Expect When You’re Expecting with Jennifer Lopez) is nothing short of electrifying.
Shot in elegant, crisp black & white, and with glorious sequences capturing the excitement of Heleno’s prowess on the field, matched by his violent temper off the field, and the glamorous nightlife of Rio de Janeiro in the ’40s, this is grand, epic movie-making. More…
