Each of the stars and most of the supporting players are real-life rappers/singers and not professional actors, adding to the improvisational-seeming naturalism that gives the movie an exotic insider feel.
Comment
09/27/07
Antonia (2007)
93
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:15
Fresh:14
Rotten:1
Average Rating:7.4/10
Runtime: 90 mins
Genre: Foreign Films
US Box Office: $0
Synopsis: On the outskirts of São Paulo, four black girls struggle against poverty, violence and male chauvinism to make their dream of living off their rap music come true. They have been singing together... [More]
Reviews for Antonia
1 - 15 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
The music, rhythms, and vibrant colors of the city are beautifully woven into cinematographer Jacob Sarmento Solitrenick's unobtrusive handheld camera work.
09/25/07
Antonia explores cultural and sexual oppression with sensitivity and verve. The story may lack complexity, but it is loaded with irrepressible energy and a deep appreciation of female friendship. And that’s always something to sing about.
09/21/07
Top Critic...a raw reality underscored by believable performances by nonprofessional actors.
09/21/07
...the unpolished actors and raw São Paolo setting offer an unusually authentic feel.
09/21/07
It's amazing what a limited runtime can do to focus a storyline.
09/21/07
An absorbing, often moving musical-drama from Brazil.
09/20/07
Top CriticThe music, rhythms and vibrant colors of the city are beautifully woven into cinematographer Jacob Sarmento Solitrenick’s unobtrusive hand-held camerawork, while director/co-writer Tata Amaral reveals a deft hand with actors.
09/20/07
With a charming quality, 'Antonia' avoids the triteness of many music films that touch on triumph, heartbreak, decline, and then a new, determined start.
09/16/07
A euphoric celebration of the rough road to womanhood and at the same time a biting critique of machista culture, Antonia is a brave, inspired antidote to current misogynistic Brazilian film fare.
08/25/07
Rather weird for an overcoming-the-odds flick in that the newcomers cast in the starring roles are obviously attempting to achieve in real-life what the characters they're portraying are trying to do in the saga on screen.
08/15/07
The style of Antonia, like the melodramas that simmer at its center, is neither smutty nor glorifying, sensitively keyed to the struggles of its working-class characters.
08/08/07
Um grupo musical formado por jovens mulheres negras de origem humilde que precisam lutar contra vários preconceitos em sua trajetória profissional: Dreamgirls? Não, muito melhor: Antônia, que deixa o filme de Bill Condon no chinelo.
02/10/07
File this one under: Middling.
09/23/06
Pic's depiction of rising above is less a candy-coated inspirational pill and more a piece of solid dramatic fiction.
09/12/06
Top Critic1 - 15 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Latest News for Antonia
December 05, 2007:
Female hip-hop, Brazilian-style! 
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