After films about country people like “2 Sons of Francisco” and MPB names like “Elis”, “Tim Maia” and “Simonal”, Brazilian cinema turns to Rio funk, represented by Claudinho and Buchecha. This is the most popular duo in this style. “Our Dream”, which opens in cinemas this Thursday (21), shows the career of the funk artists who were extremely successful in the 1990s and who are still remembered today.
The film impresses with good direction that combines drama and humor. It also has a stirring soundtrack and, above all, excellent performances from the entire cast. The highlight is of course the actors who were chosen to play the protagonist duo.
Watch the trailer for the movie “Our Dream.”
The film episodically shows how the friendship between Claudinho (Vinicius “Boca de 09”) and Buchecha (Gustavo Coelho) began in childhood when they lived in a community in Niterói (RJ), but in the end they lost touch.
Years later, Buchecha (played aged Juan Paiva) meets his friend Claudinho (Lucas Penteado) in another favela. Little by little they are becoming more and more popular.
Our story is being made into a film…
2 of 5 Claudinho (Lucas Penteado) and Buchecha (Juan Paiva) appear in a scene from “Our Dream” Photo: Angelica Goudinho/Disclosure Claudinho (Lucas Penteado) and Buchecha (Juan Paiva) appear in a scene from “Our Dream “ on — Photo: Angelica Goudinho/Disclosure
“Our Dream” has the elements that a good music biography should have:
- a captivating story of rise;
- charismatic characters;
- wellconstructed scenes (dramatic and comic);
- convincing historical reconstruction;
- and a great job with the soundtrack that can transport the viewer back to the time depicted in the production.
Thanks to the hits from Claudinho and Buchecha that play throughout the film, the film easily manages to keep the audience enthralled by what is on screen. Thanks to its songs, which are captivating to this day, the film effortlessly wins sympathy and that is a great achievement.
The film doesn’t need a lot of resources or invention to captivate viewers. Everything happens easily and unpretentiously, as do the melodies, the stage presence and the charisma of the duo.
3 of 5 Show scene of Claudinho (Lucas Penteado) and Buchecha (Juan Paiva) in “Our Dream” Photo: Angelica Goudinho/Disclosure Show scene of Claudinho (Lucas Penteado) and Buchecha (Juan Paiva) in “Our Dream” Photo: Angelica Goudinho/Disclosure
Another quality of “Our Dream” is the good direction by Eduardo Albergaria (“Happy Hour Verdades e Consequências”). He handles Claudinho and Buchecha’s show scenes well. The path ranges from funk dances on the outskirts of Rio to success on television shows.
Even the most tense sequences are kept in the right tone. This is the case in the scenes that focus on the problematic relationship between Buchecha and his father Souza (Nando Cunha). In these moments the film becomes a little denser, but thanks to the director’s good direction it doesn’t lose its sharpness.
The script, also cowritten by Albergaria, is one of the highlights of the film, as it creates good dialogues between the main characters and also develops the funniest moments well.
The humor shown on screen never seems appealing or boring.
One of the few problems with Our Dream is the use of certain costumes that do not correspond to the period in which the film is set. A good example is the football team jerseys worn by the protagonists in a scene, which are models released years later. Still, the gaffe doesn’t hurt the film that much.
4 of 5 Juan Paiva and Lucas Penteado in a scene from “Our Dream” Photo: Angelica Goudinho/Disclosure Juan Paiva and Lucas Penteado in a scene from “Our Dream” Photo: Angelica Goudinho/Disclosure
However, the greatest success of “Our Dream” lies in the duo’s choice of actors. Juan Paiva stands out as Buchecha and doesn’t seem to feel the burden of being responsible for the most dramatic scenes. The young actor does a good job of conveying the inner conflicts his character feels, especially in relation to his father. It’s also great during times of relaxation.
Former BBB Lucas Penteado is doing just as well as Claudinho. The actor always attracts attention on stage and manages to create real chemistry with Paiva, which is essential for the success of the production.
Juan and Lucas not only play well, but also show harmony when they sing the hits of Claudinho and Buchecha. In some songs they are dubbed, in others (like “Só Love”) they let loose their voices and don’t look bad.
Of the rest of the cast, alongside Nando Cunha, Tatiana Tibúrcio (Dona Etelma, Buchecha’s mother) also stands out. Like her son, she has a complicated relationship with Souza, her exhusband. The actresses Lellê and Clara Moneke, who play the singers’ friends, Rosana and Vanessa, seem small.
5 out of 5 Claudinho (Lucas Penteado) and Buchecha (Juan Paiva) before their fame in the film “Our Dream” Photo: Angelica Goudinho/Disclosure Claudinho (Lucas Penteado) and Buchecha (Juan Paiva) before their fame in the film “Our”. Dream” Photo: Angelica Goudinho/Disclosure
“Our Dream” was one of the finalists in the competition to represent Brazil for one of the spots in the Best International Film category at the 2024 Oscars, but lost to the favorite “Ghost Portraits”, by Kleber Mendonça Filho. Although it didn’t have much chance of being selected, the film can be considered a winner as it rightfully made it to the final list.
Ultimately, the film achieves its goal of telling a compelling story. Anyone who goes to the cinema will not only sing, but will most likely also feel that Claudinho & Buchecha’s dream was well told.