Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

Sexyloutak Absolutely the worst movie.

FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Hayden Kane There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Paul Allaer I recently was browsing the foreign movie section of my local library and stumbled upon this particular DVD. I didn't pay much attention to it, other than it was released by Film Movement, which has an amazing library of indie and foreign films, and so I went ahead and picked it up."The Pope's Toilet" (2007 release from Uruguay; 97 min.) brings the story of Beto and his family and friend in the Melo community in Uruguay, not far from the border from Brazil. As the movie opens, we see Beto and several others biking back into Uruguay, heavily loaded with packages of all kinds. It's not long before we understand that Beto and his friends make a living smuggling everyday goods from southern Brazil into Melo. Meanwhile, Melo is getting excited about the upcoming visit of Pope John Paul II, and Beto and many others are thinking of a way to take advantage of this unexpected economic opportunity. To tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.Couple of comments: first, it wasn't until I was about to start watching this that I noticed this movie originally came out in 2007, so almost 10 years ago. It is amazing then to notice that the movie has a certain timelessness about it, as I found this movie utterly fresh and mesmerizing. I was at first a little put off by the movie's opening disclaimer that the events portrayed in the movie are "in essence true and it's only by chance they didn't occur the way they're told here", whatever that is supposed to mean. But the Pope did in fact visit Melo (in May, 1988). Second, the movie's director pays close attention to the economic struggles of the Melo community, synthesized here by Beto and his wife and daughter. His wife has accepted her fate, while his daughter has big dreams of becoming a radio announcer and going to study in Uruguay's far-away capital Montevideo. In that sense, this is a rather depressing movie, as life is hard for this remote community. It's all the more exciting then when the preparations for the Pope's visit begin (signs emphasize the blue collar aspects of Melo), and people in Melo are wondering/contemplating how many Brazilians will cross the border for this historic moment (and spend money in the Melo community): 2,000? 20,000? 200,000? Per the usual, the Film Movement DVD comes with a bonus shortie, this time the excellent "Video 3000" (5 min.) from Germany, an animated shortie about a person who has just received his new DVD player, and is trying to figure out the remote control. Just watch! Meanwhile, "The Pope's Toilet" is an excellent example of Film Movement's rich library of foreign and indie movies. "The Pope's Toilet" is HIGHLY RECOMMEDED!

ghuert01 Very moving and very real...Shows a life of poverty and hopelessness. They showed in their own way how it is to be desperate and hopeless in that scene, I felt like I was the guy with the toilet bowl...because I'm always taking the opportunities but what if the opportunity comes and goes by and there is still no hope? They tried to take an opportunity to make money because many people would be in the area but it didn't work out the way they thought. I'm successful in other peoples eyes but in my own self I feel like I just starting out and this movie portrayed what I feel, I related to it very well. This is my opinion...

jotix100 The setting is the frontier that separates Brazil and Uruguay. As the story begins, we see a few men on bicycles carrying what appears to be contraband. A police car gives chase and most of the men are caught. The policeman knows he will be able to get something he wants out of the merchandise the guys are hauling. Only Beto, who hides behind some boulders, is able to escape and save whatever he is bringing back.Beto is a poor man with no other job than to go across the border to make a living. His wife Carmen takes laundry in to help the family. The couple has a younger daughter, Silvia, whose ambition is to be a newscaster on television. The family's home is a step above a shack. In spite of the poverty, Beto is always dreaming about how to provide for his wife and daughter, except his plans almost always end in failure.A big event is coming to the town. It is 1988 and Pope John Paul II is expected to make a stop in Melo. The townspeople begin to prepare themselves to feed the hordes of Brazilians that are supposed to invade their little town. Beto's idea is to build a toilet outside his house. With so many visitors, he figures most people will be in need of using the facility, at a modest cost. Unfortunately, the crowds never materialize; the people in the town suffer greater losses than they were able to afford. The task he set for himself will almost ruin his life and that of his wife and daughter.An engaging film from Uruguay directed by Cesar Charlone and Enrique Hernandez. Based on a true story, the filmmakers tried to reconstruct the atmosphere of that historic moment. Who would have thought an important person like the John Paul II, a figure that attracted thousands of people to wherever he appeared, would get such a small turnout? The lives of Beto and his neighbors was changed forever by just pure bad luck, something no one ever expected.Best thing in the film is Cesar Troncoso who plays Beto. His pain is too hard for the viewer to take. Despite of all his good intentions, he is just as bad off after the visit, as he was before. Mr. Troncoso's work surprises in its intensity. The supporting cast does a wonderful job as well.

woodvillelite This was one of the main films I wanted to see this year at the Toronto Film Festival due to the rave reviews on this site. I am glad I did but in my estimation did not deserve a 9 or 10 rating.It's 1988 and a small very poor Uruguayan town is in a papal frenzy, Pope John Paul II is coming! The citizens are concerned with what will be needed to accommodate over 50,000+ visitors and be pleasing to his holiness. Food and drink is on most of their minds, but Beto, has the after effects fully in his mind but just needs the money to build a toilet without going into debt like most of the other villagers.One of the main theme which runs through this movie is that most of the village men are smugglers, that is their lively hood. The border between Uruguay and Brazil is right there, supplies are available in Brazil which are not in Uruguay. There is also a cat and mouse game with the head honcho of the border patrol who also wants his cut along with everyone else.I think the story could have moved a lot faster in the first 40 minutes but they were getting us acquainted to the characters, village and how things work (smuggling) in their neck of the woods so to speak. The use of the hand held cameras was awkward at times (assuming this due to the jumpiness) but sort of reminiscent of how the TV series "Homicide: Life on the Street" was filmed. This movie was very well done, you bond with the characters fairly fast. Very few of the principal actors were real professionals, many were villagers of the area they were filming in. I doubt this film will be in my top pick of this years films, BUT, it did have a very charming quality, beautiful scenery and totally worth seeing.