彩虹的第八种颜色 A Oitava Cor do Arco-íris

Desperate to save his ailing grandmother before she slips beyond the point of no return, a young boy from the country ventures forth into the big city on a mission to sell his only asset, and procure the medicine that will make her well again. One night, after awakening to the sounds of his beloved grandmother Didinha praying for death, Joaozinho realizes that the ageing woman can endure her suffering no longer. Now determined to do everything in his power to restore her health, young Joaozinho decides to sell his goat "Mocinha" so that he will be able to afford his grandmother＇s medicine. In order to do so, however, this brave young soul will have to venture out from the safety of his surroundings and into the hustle and bustle of the capitol city. Though his mission is a noble one, will this young boy be able to procure the medicine and bring it back to his grandmother in time?

A low budget Brazilian production about a poor country boy struggling to collect enough money to buy medicine for his ill grandmother The Eight Color of the Rainbow (1997) is director Amauri Tangara＇s one and only foray into the world of cinema. Unevenly paced and at times looking awkwardly amateurish pic walks a familiar route, it stumbles upon a string of clichés. Appealingly lensed vistas from Brazil＇s countryside make pic＇s rough spots less noticeable but aren＇t enough to secure a solid recommendation.

A lovely, moving film, if a bit repetitious early on, A Oitava Cor do Arco-Iris, from Brazil, centers on 11-year-old Joaozinho (Diego Borges, in one of cinema’s great child performances), who has been raised by his grandmother in a rural village. (Joaozinho’s mother has abandoned him and is likely working in the city as a prostitute.) Grandma Didinha, impoverished and ill, can’t afford medicine to relieve her pain. Joaozinho hopes to raise the necessary money by selling Mocinha, Grandma’s goat. Amauri Tangará’s film finds the hopeful, perseverant boy eventually making his way to Cuiabá, the nearest city, in order to make the sale. At a public market he recoils at the idea that Mocinha should become dinner meat, and later that day delinquent boys steal Mocinha; but the two are reunited. Meanwhile, bedridden Didinha herself is roused and attempts to find her missing grandson.