The Man Who Copied (2003)

The Man Who Copied (Portuguese: O Homem que Copiava ([u ˈõmẽ ki koˈpjavɐ]) is a 2003 Brazilian comedy film by Jorge Furtado, set in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

The Man Who Copied, though a comedy, is a comedy driven by crime, taking the form of a "how-to" guide for social mobility. Despite the crime involved in the film, it still has the feel of a lighthearted romantic comedy (which is a relatively new genre in Brazilian film and television, introduced in the 1990s by the American and British film and television industries).

The film won eleven awards, including Best Picture from the São Paulo Association of Art Critics Award in 2004. The 2003 release date helped the film gain momentum, as for from the 1990s to the early 2000s, Brazilian films began getting more competitive in both the national and international market (especially with the release of City of God (2002 film)).

Synopsis

Nineteen-year-old André Maciel (Lázaro Ramos) works as a photocopy machine operator in a convenience store in Porto Alegre. Disillusioned with his life and obsessed with material wealth, he dreams of being an illustrator, but his comics, though well drawn, are rejected by publishers. After André returns home from work, he spends time in his room drawing or spying on Sílvia (Leandra Leal), a neighbor who lives in an apartment across the street with her father Antunes, with binoculars.

Actors