MIAMI FILM FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE

By Jonathan Lorenzo

Bingo: The King of the Mornings” has been by far my favorite film of the festival. An amazing performance by Vladimir Brichta as Augusto Mendes/Bingo. This film was inspired by the true story of Augusto, an artist trying to find his place as an actor. Following his mother’s footsteps, a stage artist in the 50’s, Augusto pursues his passion with abandon. Restless in his search for applause, he finds his place as “BINGO”, a TV host clown from a TV show for children in the 80’s. The only problem is even though Bingo brings joy to millions of kids he can’t bring joy to the most important kid, his son Gabriel.

Daniel Rezende puts together a true masterpiece; his direction shows a compelling style, and his characters are magnetic! I’ve never seen what it’s like to be a clown, I have never seen the process of them getting into character. Vladamir’s performance made me excited for the opportunity of him being Bingo, wanting him to push the limits of his character to be the best Bingo possible, and in portraying Augusto, Vladimir channels a compelling character – confident, vibrant and fearless. While at the same time, consumed and crushed from understanding that no one will ever recognize his unmasked face. Not only did Vladamir make me connect emotionally with the characters but his expressions truly made me believe he WAS Bingo.

Cinematography, Direction, Characters, Style, Story. When it comes down to it to make a great film all of these things must be done at a high level. “Bingo: King of the Mornings” did all of these things and everything else at an extremely high level, they have raised the bar for indie filmmakers and raised it high. David Rezende makes his directorial debut after editing on “RoboCop”, “City of God”, and “The Tree of Life” and brings Americas favorite clown to life with a Brazilian twist. This film is filled with fun, emotion, colors and excitement the true definition of a must watch!