Malasartes e o Duelo com a Morte: Paulo Morelli’s comedy has an old-school, good-natured naïve quality to it. The film has two separate general settings, and alas, the more it veers into the fantastic, the less attractive the storyline and the characters become. The film has a good look; the more realistic side makes good use of the locations and Adrian Teijido’s cinematography is simple and effective; by the other hand, the other half of the film has some interesting conceptual ideas and distinctive art direction. The cast’s performance, in general, is comedic and broad: in some cases, it’s annoying (Leandro Hassum comes to mind), while in others, it’s well-modulated (Jesuíta Barbosa in particular). Isis Valverde is an exception, as she is asked to be cute and that’s pretty much all she gives.