Chica de Río
Encyclopedia
Girl from Rio is a 2001
film
, written and directed by Christopher Monger
, starring Hugh Laurie
, Vanessa Nunes, Santiago Segura
, Lia Williams
, and Patrick Barlow
.
Raymond Woods (Hugh Laurie
), a junior manager in a bank in the City
is becoming increasingly bored of his life as it takes a downhill tumble. First he finds out that he has missed the promotion opportunity at work by his bad tempered and disapproving boss, Strothers (Patrick Barlow
), and then he catches his wife (Lia Williams
) a couple of days before Christmas having an affair with Strothers. In an increasingly bad mood, Raymond attends his last day at work before Christmas and offers to lock up the bank after the Christmas party. Struck by rashness and his desire to live out his fantasy and dance the Samba
with a famous Samba dancer, Raymond grabs several bin bags full of cash and departs for the airport. Realising that he has left his passport at home, he directs the taxi home, collecting his passport and roughly counts his money and placing them in a more suitable bag. Departing for the airport, he pays for a first class ticket to Rio de Janeiro
expecting to have a great Christmas to forget his troubles back at home.
Touching down in Rio, he calls a cab to take him to a nice hotel. The cab driver, Paulo (Santiago Segura
), takes him to a fairly run down hotel. Raymond insists he needs a much nicer hotel with a beach, while Paulo insists Raymond would not be able to afford such a hotel, but suddenly changes heart once Raymond shows him a large wad of cash. Paulo immediately befriends Raymond, with is eyes greedily on his cash as he owes the biggest Mafia
leader in Rio money and insists that he is prepared to take Raymond wherever he needs to go and whatever he needs done can be done. Therefore, Paulo takes Raymond to the nicest hotel in Rio. Raymond trips up in a commotion at the door of the hotel, dropping his bag and spreading his cash all over the floor. Once he hastily shuffles it all away, the hotel clerks immediately show him to the Presidential suite
of the hotel and welcomes him to the hotel. After a day of shopping, and generous spending Raymond reveals to Paulo he had originally come to Rio to look for the famous Samba dancer Orlinda (Vanessa Nunes). Paulo then calls during the middle of the night to tell Raymond he has found Orlinda. After dropping Raymond off at the Samba club, where Orlinda is performing a Samba dance, Paulo sneaks back to the hotel to steal Raymond's money from the safe, before being caught by a guard and thrown out of the hotel. Meanwhile, Raymond confesses to Orlinda he has been mesmerised by her dancing and has learnt all of her moves from her videos. They dance together, before the show ends and Paulo insists on driving them back to the hotel. Paulo secretly tells Orlinda about the safe, who suddenly doubles her interest in Raymond and follows him back to the hotel. Raymond shows her the suite he stays in and they talk about Samba, before they have a passionate night. Raymond then wakes up the next morning in a good mood and orders breakfast for two. He then notices the safe wide open and completely cleared of all of its contents. Raymond escapes the hotel before they can reprimand him about the bill. He escapes with Paulo to try and find Orlinda, believing she has been kidnapped along with all the money. Realising it is Christmas Eve, Paulo realises Orlinda would be at midnight mass
and takes Raymond there. Raymond meets up with Orlinda who confesses to stealing his money, but telling him she doesn't have it. it appears she too owes money to the Mafia leader , Bichero (Nelson Xavier
), as well. Upon leaving mass, Raymond sees Bichero handing out cash from a bag that looks familiar. Raymond rushes after the car to try to get his money back, before realising what he's doing and then tries to run away, but to no avail. Bichero brings him to his hideout where he interrogates Raymond before finally giving the command for one of his henchmen to execute Raymond. While Raymond struggles, he lets slip he counts money for a job. Bichero then orders for Raymond to be locked in the safe and to count the masses of money locked in it.
On Christmas Day, Orlinda visits Raymond to give him a Christmas present. Raymond is still angry at the fact that she has ended him up in this situation. She tells him that she wished the money was only a small portion of what he owned and it wouldn't matter that she took it, and tells Raymond he's a "common crook". Leaving the safe after being ordered out, she tells Raymond not to give up hope. Raymond collects large portion of the money and claims its his. Orlinda then meets up with Paulo who takes his taxi and ties a rope to pull away at the bars of Raymond's prison. After dragging away the bars, Raymond manages to escape with several bags of money. Bichero realises he's escaped and sets a henchman on him. Once reaching the bottom of the air vent, the henchman grabs Raymond causing him to knock the controls for a far, switching it on so that all the money in the safe is spread over the city. The henchman releases Raymond so he can pursue some of the money. The rest of the city also goes after the money flying everywhere, leaving Bichero with nothing.
Raymond then decides he should return the money to the bank, as he still has enough time to get back to England
and return the money to the vaults without anybody noticing it had gone. He quickly buys a ticket back to London and hires a taxi driver to rush him back to the bank. However when he arrives, the police are all over the building. About to rush in and explain to the police inspector, he discovers that over the Christmas period, somebody had tunnelled into the vault and swiped the remainder of the money. Confused and relieved Raymond leaves the bank and intends to return to Rio. Catching a taxi, where a couple leave, he recognises them as his wife and Strothers who have evidently just returned from their holiday in Tenerife
. He tells his wife he'll leave her the address of where he's living in Rio to send the divorce papers, resigns from his job and goes back to Rio. We next see him living with Orlinda and Paulo some years later with two babies and Bichero as his servant.
2001 in film
The year 2001 in film involved some significant events, including the first of the Harry Potter series and also the first of The Lord of the Rings trilogy...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, written and directed by Christopher Monger
Christopher monger
Christopher Monger is a Welsh screenwriter, director and editor, best known for writing and directing The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain and writing the HBO biopic 'Temple Grandin'. He has directed eight feature films and written over thirty screenplays.-Early life:Monger...
, starring Hugh Laurie
Hugh Laurie
James Hugh Calum Laurie, OBE , better known as Hugh Laurie , is an English actor, voice artist, comedian, writer, musician, recording artist, and director...
, Vanessa Nunes, Santiago Segura
Santiago Segura
Santiago Segura Silva is a Spanish film actor, screenwriter, producer and director.Santiago was born in the Carabanchel neighbourhood in Madrid. After studying Arts at the Complutense University of Madrid, he decided to pursue a career as a film-maker and in 1989 he directed the short Relatos de...
, Lia Williams
Lia Williams
Lia Williams is an English actress and film director, notable for many stage, film, and television appearances. She is possibly best known for her role in the motion picture, Dirty Weekend...
, and Patrick Barlow
Patrick Barlow
Patrick Barlow is an English actor, comedian and playwright. His comedic alter ego, Desmond Olivier Dingle, is the founder, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of the two-man National Theatre of Brent, which has performed on stage, on television and on radio.-Radio:Barlow is the scriptwriter, as...
.
Plot
Raymond Woods (Hugh Laurie
Hugh Laurie
James Hugh Calum Laurie, OBE , better known as Hugh Laurie , is an English actor, voice artist, comedian, writer, musician, recording artist, and director...
), a junior manager in a bank in the City
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
is becoming increasingly bored of his life as it takes a downhill tumble. First he finds out that he has missed the promotion opportunity at work by his bad tempered and disapproving boss, Strothers (Patrick Barlow
Patrick Barlow
Patrick Barlow is an English actor, comedian and playwright. His comedic alter ego, Desmond Olivier Dingle, is the founder, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of the two-man National Theatre of Brent, which has performed on stage, on television and on radio.-Radio:Barlow is the scriptwriter, as...
), and then he catches his wife (Lia Williams
Lia Williams
Lia Williams is an English actress and film director, notable for many stage, film, and television appearances. She is possibly best known for her role in the motion picture, Dirty Weekend...
) a couple of days before Christmas having an affair with Strothers. In an increasingly bad mood, Raymond attends his last day at work before Christmas and offers to lock up the bank after the Christmas party. Struck by rashness and his desire to live out his fantasy and dance the Samba
Samba
Samba is a Brazilian dance and musical genre originating in Bahia and with its roots in Brazil and Africa via the West African slave trade and African religious traditions. It is recognized around the world as a symbol of Brazil and the Brazilian Carnival...
with a famous Samba dancer, Raymond grabs several bin bags full of cash and departs for the airport. Realising that he has left his passport at home, he directs the taxi home, collecting his passport and roughly counts his money and placing them in a more suitable bag. Departing for the airport, he pays for a first class ticket to Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
expecting to have a great Christmas to forget his troubles back at home.
Touching down in Rio, he calls a cab to take him to a nice hotel. The cab driver, Paulo (Santiago Segura
Santiago Segura
Santiago Segura Silva is a Spanish film actor, screenwriter, producer and director.Santiago was born in the Carabanchel neighbourhood in Madrid. After studying Arts at the Complutense University of Madrid, he decided to pursue a career as a film-maker and in 1989 he directed the short Relatos de...
), takes him to a fairly run down hotel. Raymond insists he needs a much nicer hotel with a beach, while Paulo insists Raymond would not be able to afford such a hotel, but suddenly changes heart once Raymond shows him a large wad of cash. Paulo immediately befriends Raymond, with is eyes greedily on his cash as he owes the biggest Mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
leader in Rio money and insists that he is prepared to take Raymond wherever he needs to go and whatever he needs done can be done. Therefore, Paulo takes Raymond to the nicest hotel in Rio. Raymond trips up in a commotion at the door of the hotel, dropping his bag and spreading his cash all over the floor. Once he hastily shuffles it all away, the hotel clerks immediately show him to the Presidential suite
Presidential suite
Presidential suite and royal suite are common names for the most expensive suite in a luxury hotel.It gained its name during the Woodrow Wilson presidency because on each of his political trips away from Washington, he would insist on having a hotel room conform to specific requirements for his...
of the hotel and welcomes him to the hotel. After a day of shopping, and generous spending Raymond reveals to Paulo he had originally come to Rio to look for the famous Samba dancer Orlinda (Vanessa Nunes). Paulo then calls during the middle of the night to tell Raymond he has found Orlinda. After dropping Raymond off at the Samba club, where Orlinda is performing a Samba dance, Paulo sneaks back to the hotel to steal Raymond's money from the safe, before being caught by a guard and thrown out of the hotel. Meanwhile, Raymond confesses to Orlinda he has been mesmerised by her dancing and has learnt all of her moves from her videos. They dance together, before the show ends and Paulo insists on driving them back to the hotel. Paulo secretly tells Orlinda about the safe, who suddenly doubles her interest in Raymond and follows him back to the hotel. Raymond shows her the suite he stays in and they talk about Samba, before they have a passionate night. Raymond then wakes up the next morning in a good mood and orders breakfast for two. He then notices the safe wide open and completely cleared of all of its contents. Raymond escapes the hotel before they can reprimand him about the bill. He escapes with Paulo to try and find Orlinda, believing she has been kidnapped along with all the money. Realising it is Christmas Eve, Paulo realises Orlinda would be at midnight mass
Midnight Mass
Midnight Mass is a Christmas Eve liturgical tradition in the Roman Catholic church.Midnight Mass may also refer to:* Midnight, Mass., a Vertigo comics series* Midnight Mass, a 2004 novel by F...
and takes Raymond there. Raymond meets up with Orlinda who confesses to stealing his money, but telling him she doesn't have it. it appears she too owes money to the Mafia leader , Bichero (Nelson Xavier
Nelson Xavier
Nelson Xavier is a Brazilian actor. He has appeared in 80 films and television shows since 1959. He starred in the 1964 film Os Fuzis, which won the Silver Bear Extraordinary Jury Prize at the 14th Berlin International Film Festival....
), as well. Upon leaving mass, Raymond sees Bichero handing out cash from a bag that looks familiar. Raymond rushes after the car to try to get his money back, before realising what he's doing and then tries to run away, but to no avail. Bichero brings him to his hideout where he interrogates Raymond before finally giving the command for one of his henchmen to execute Raymond. While Raymond struggles, he lets slip he counts money for a job. Bichero then orders for Raymond to be locked in the safe and to count the masses of money locked in it.
On Christmas Day, Orlinda visits Raymond to give him a Christmas present. Raymond is still angry at the fact that she has ended him up in this situation. She tells him that she wished the money was only a small portion of what he owned and it wouldn't matter that she took it, and tells Raymond he's a "common crook". Leaving the safe after being ordered out, she tells Raymond not to give up hope. Raymond collects large portion of the money and claims its his. Orlinda then meets up with Paulo who takes his taxi and ties a rope to pull away at the bars of Raymond's prison. After dragging away the bars, Raymond manages to escape with several bags of money. Bichero realises he's escaped and sets a henchman on him. Once reaching the bottom of the air vent, the henchman grabs Raymond causing him to knock the controls for a far, switching it on so that all the money in the safe is spread over the city. The henchman releases Raymond so he can pursue some of the money. The rest of the city also goes after the money flying everywhere, leaving Bichero with nothing.
Raymond then decides he should return the money to the bank, as he still has enough time to get back to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and return the money to the vaults without anybody noticing it had gone. He quickly buys a ticket back to London and hires a taxi driver to rush him back to the bank. However when he arrives, the police are all over the building. About to rush in and explain to the police inspector, he discovers that over the Christmas period, somebody had tunnelled into the vault and swiped the remainder of the money. Confused and relieved Raymond leaves the bank and intends to return to Rio. Catching a taxi, where a couple leave, he recognises them as his wife and Strothers who have evidently just returned from their holiday in Tenerife
Tenerife
Tenerife is the largest and most populous island of the seven Canary Islands, it is also the most populated island of Spain, with a land area of 2,034.38 km² and 906,854 inhabitants, 43% of the total population of the Canary Islands. About five million tourists visit Tenerife each year, the...
. He tells his wife he'll leave her the address of where he's living in Rio to send the divorce papers, resigns from his job and goes back to Rio. We next see him living with Orlinda and Paulo some years later with two babies and Bichero as his servant.
Soundtrack
- The soundtrack is Silencio, by Adriana Maciel
- The end credits is a song called Libera Geral by Terra Samba