THE GIRL FROM RIO

UK, 2000, 95 minutes, Colour.
Hugh Laurie, Vanessa Nunez, John Junken, Hugh Lloyd.
Directed by Chris Mongers.

Chris Mongers has made some offbeat films including The Englishman Who Went up a Hill and Came Down a Mountain.

This is a pleasantly light comedy of the contrast between dull London and bright Brazil, a land of exotic dreams and exotic women for a respectable British banker.

Hugh Laurie, doing a variation on his gawky, lanky would-be hero, discovers that all is not well in his life: a superior boss, a wife who could discard him, miserable weather. But, due to an incompetent bank robbery, he has at hand the loot... and it is the Christmas break... and off he goes to Rio.

All, of course, will not be as fantastic as he dreamed, but he has the time of his life, especially when he gets mixed up with crooks and is fleeing for his life.

Slight and undemanding.

1. An entertaining piece of very light entertainment? Inconsequential - but enjoyable?

2. The portrait of dull lives in Britain, imaginative dreams? Themes of the dream of getting money, escaping from humdrum life - and then escaping from retribution?

3. The London sequences, the weather, Christmas, offices, the streets, homes, the rain? The contrast with Rio, Copacabana, the barrios, the hotels, the poor areas? The credits sequences and the contrast between the two different styles of music, the playing of the drums?

4. The re-creation of the humdrum London life, the office, Raymond being the butt of jokes, Bigelow trying to help him, having the keys, lacking the power? The boss and his lack of imagination? The buying of the Christmas tree, getting the bus, splashed in the rain, leaving the Christmas tree behind? Reading his samba magazines? Coming home, the reception by his wife?

5. The contrast between life at home, his wife and her attitudes towards him, ticking him off? Changing, teaching the samba class, the various people, from all walks of life, age, experience and appearance? Their enjoyment of the music, the dancing - even if the playing was out of tune and the dancing erratic?

6. His coming home, his wife and her story about going to see her father? Taking her to the station, the discovery of the ticket, the discovery of his boss? The possibility of a divorce? His going home and drinking, a miserable Christmas, the imagining of the dancing in Brazil? The money available - temptation?

7. His going to the airport, the getting of the ticket and the money - and the sceptical response of the woman at the desk? Arrival, being in Brazil, Paolo and his getting in the taxi, going to the hotel, in league with his friends? Raymond wanting a bigger and bright hotel? His taking him there, the car being hijacked, Raymond stranded, people pursuing him? Paolo turning up again and getting him settled?

8. The bright life, the hotel, the attention of the staff, Copacabana? Going out, buying the clothes? Dancing on the beach?

9. Orlinda as the girl of his dreams, Paolo saying he didn't know her, going out to get her? His meeting her, Raymond dancing with her, her going home with him, the romantic dream? Waking with the shower going and his being robbed?

10. The hotel staff and throwing him out? Meeting Paolo again, tracking down Orlinda, at Midnight Mass? His being abducted by the criminal, put in the room, all the money, his having to count the money? Orlinda bribing her way in for a visit?

11. The atmosphere of Christmas, his feeling imprisoned, counting the money? Orlinda and her religious beliefs?

12. Her thinking up the plan, getting Paolo and the other friends, climbing up through the funnel, blasting the wall? The escape, Raymond taking his money? The rest of the money all flying out the vent, raining down money on all the poor people in the barrios? The criminal, his background, getting all the money, his henchmen? Abducting Raymond? His watching all his money disappear?

13. Raymond and his conscience, going back to England, the tight time plan, getting the taxi from Heathrow, finding the police at the bank? Finding that the bank had already been robbed - and his having seen the men on the street who had laughed at his imaginative dancing?

14. Struthers, his lack of humour, the relationship with Raymond's wife, her leaving him, his being rid of her?

15. The return to Brazil, with the money, setting up a house, having a family with Orlinda? And the criminal being the servant? The fulfilment of this kind of wish fantasy dream?