★★★★½
Aly Muritiba’s latest film, Funk, is an electrifying insight into the MC funk scene of Rio’s favelas.
Capturing an insightful character drama within a film grounded in realism, Funk is baptized in the limelight.
Co-written by Muritiba, Fernando Barcellos, Taísa Machado, and Leandro Saraiva, the film follows Sabrina, aka MC Sabrina.
A young MC trying to make a name for herself within Rio’s funk scene, Sabrina lives with her mother, a former funk musician who almost made it but never quite did.
The film is explicit, unchecked, and overly polished, which allows it to be glorious and romanticize the environment without losing its grit and underbelly.
“The film is explicit, unchecked, and overly polished, which allows it to be glorious and romanticize the environment without losing its grit and underbelly.”
From the opening scene, the film embraces the culture of funk music and what it’s about: sex, sex, and sex.
The music itself is overly sexual in nature, and instead of shying away from it, the film doubles down in the best possible way.
MC Sabrina doesn’t merely use her sexuality and sex appeal to sell herself or her music. The music is an embodiment of her sexual liberation and self-expression.
Something that is normally frowned upon due to the double standard surrounding women and sex, which the film also graciously addresses.
Although the sex appeal and hypersexual stylization of the film are driving factors, Aly Muritiba’s vision is layered, crisp, and clear. He has a clear understanding of the music scene and doesn’t get so consumed by the idea of it that the narrative suffers.
Not only glamorizing it, but capturing the energy and sub-life the music creates. While completely different on the surface, it’s a lot like Fight Club.
The people are completely different within those four walls when the funk music is on. Everyone is free from the outside worries of the world.
From the start, MC Sabrina is a star on the stage within those four walls. From the club pop, she creates an energy that is game-changing, only to become Sabrina from the favela to the outside world once she leaves those four walls.
“The people are completely different within those four walls when the funk music is on. Everyone is free from the outside worries of the world.”
The crafting of the character and execution of the story are where Muritiba’s vision in the director’s chair comes into play.
His ability to find this almost perfect balance between these two worlds is phenomenal.
Coming in heavy from the music aspect of the film and her embracing herself in that overly sexualized manner, the film defines the character and who she is through and through before slowly starting to allow us to see why she is that way.
She is clearly troubled, not by the way she conducts herself or owns her sexuality, but by how she conducts herself in her day-to-day life. From her interactions as a waitress to how she interacts with her mother.
Her origin story is slowly delivered, allowing us to get to know her organically rather than context-dumping everything at the beginning.
Making it one of the most lustful, energetic, and engaging films about music in recent memory.
Inti Briones’s cinematography is intoxicating.
Without question, it’s one of the better-shot films of the year. Briones’s execution is what makes the film work so well.
Every scene in which there is music, dancing, or a stage performance is vibrant and lustful. He manages to capture the essence of the best party moment of your life and recreate that in every scene.
Every performance scene embodies the energy of a spring break club party in the best possible way, making the cinematography create emotion and connect us to the film in a real way.
Making the high moments feel higher while allowing the mundane moments of everyday life to feel bland.
“He manages to capture the essence of the best party moment of your life and recreate that in every scene.”
Érico Theobaldo and DJ Renan Valle’s score is top-notch, working hand in hand with the cinematography to create this vibe and essence that surpasses the screen.
Pushing the score to new highs and really only becoming present during the moments of performance and partying.
There is an almost complete absence of it during the day-to-day moments. Like the cinematography, it offers a clear change in tone during these moments to establish the difference between her own reality as Sabrina and MC Sabrina.
Duda Santos, who plays Sabrina, and MC Nem, who plays her mother, are flawless in the film. They not only completely embody the characters, but bring them to life and play them with a certain restraint that highlights the characters’ troubled dynamic.
From the first frame to the last, Aly Muritiba’s vision shines through brightly and gracefully.
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