Bingo: The King of the Mornings
2017 · Directed by Daniel Rezende
Original language: Portuguese
- comedy
- drama
The story
1980s. Brazilian television exploding in color and auditorium programs not so politically correct. In the middle of this fervor, Augusto Mendes, a young rising actor, seeks his place in the sun. From porn studios to soap operas, he finally finds success and fame when he becomes "Bingo", a TV host clown from one of the audience leader TV shows for children. It turns out that behind the rice powder and red nose, nobody knows who he is.
What it’s like
Bright, saturated 1980s Brazilian television colour: candy pinks, electric blues and the hot glare of studio lights bouncing off sequins, face paint and cheap sets, while the handheld camera stays close to a performer who is sweating through his makeup. Scenes shift between the gaudy, crowded energy of live children's programmes and the dingier rooms of his earlier life, with grainier, warmer textures and darker interiors that feel like a wallpaper peeling away. The score leans on bouncy, period-flavoured pop and sudden swells of sentiment, so the mood keeps swinging between slapstick and melancholy. Its vibe is loud, bittersweet and a little seedy, the kind of film that suits a late evening with the lights low, or a comfort watch for anyone who likes backstage stories about fame. It is a biographical drama with a comic streak, and its arc follows a restless man learning that the costume he wears for applause can hide the person who most needs to be seen. The content is frank: nudity and sexual scenes appear in the early sections, language is coarse, and some scenes carry emotional cruelty and a few moments of violence, though none are gratuitous. It suits adult viewers who want a funny, candid look at showbiz and identity rather than anything gentle or family-friendly.
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