FUNK

MC Nem as MC Priscila has a layered character with traits of jealousy, care and caution stationed for her daughter, and she uses her expressions and body language to wonderfully portray her vulnerability. Duda Santos as MC Sabrina remains the star of the show. There is a natural effervescence to her persona that sets the pace of the narrative. She is bold, unhinged and vibrant – all in equal measures, while keeping a tab on her palpable emotional core with a streak of opportunism and uncertainty. The kind of synergy that she brings to her act is infectious, even while delivering a pretty brilliant act that often challenges the notion of the viewers. She was incredible to witness here.

Energetic and undeniably sexy are phrases that can describe a bold and bracing example of Latin American cinema on display, Aly Muritiba’s musical melodrama “Funk.” Duda Santos stars as Sabrina, a young woman who dreams of making it out of the favelas of Rio de Janeiro by becoming a star in the funk music scene, where she dazzles local audiences with her obvious sex appeal and her even more apparent skills on the mic, busting out hilariously profane and unapologetically feminist lyrics at the drop of a hat. Through a couple of unexpected twists, she breaks through to genuine stardom. But as the stakes rise, she is pulled into the inevitable conflict between staying true to her vision and doing what it takes to achieve full mainstream success. Further complicating things is the presence of her mother (played by real-life musician MC Nem), who had to give up her own dreams of musical stardom when she became pregnant with Sabrina as a teenager and who looks at her daughter and her accomplishments with no small amount of jealousy that threatens to pull them apart. Again, it’s not the most unique storyline but it is always thrilling to look at and listen to and the performances from Santos (who demonstrates the same kind of wild and dangerous spirit that Elvis Presley did in his earliest roles) and Nem, who shared a Special Jury Mention in the festival’s International Feature competition, are so convincing throughout that it is easy to forget that they are playing characters.