I love the fado, and I've spent many hours sitting in Portuguese fado clubs or listening to fado CD's. Fado is a subject waiting for a great documentary. This isn't it.
Saura has no feel for the fado. Because of this, he brings in extraneous music, "fado rap," "fado flamenco," and strange dance routines. (Fado is for listening. It's not dance music.) He shows us very little actual fado. For example, the greatest fadista, Amalia Rodrigues, is portrayed working on a fado with a pianist. We never hear her perform a fado!
I don't know of a great fado DVD. I wish I knew one that I could recommend. I do know that this film isn't great, and it isn't even good. Avoid it!
P.S. Another reviewer got it just right. "Has Saura ever been to Lisbon?"
Saura has no feel for the fado. Because of this, he brings in extraneous music, "fado rap," "fado flamenco," and strange dance routines. (Fado is for listening. It's not dance music.) He shows us very little actual fado. For example, the greatest fadista, Amalia Rodrigues, is portrayed working on a fado with a pianist. We never hear her perform a fado!
I don't know of a great fado DVD. I wish I knew one that I could recommend. I do know that this film isn't great, and it isn't even good. Avoid it!
P.S. Another reviewer got it just right. "Has Saura ever been to Lisbon?"