Mandrake (TV series)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Mandrake | |
|---|---|
 Mandrake title design. |
|
| Genre | Comedy-drama |
| Creator(s) | Rubem Fonseca (novel) José Henrique Fonseca |
| Starring | Marcos Palmeira Maria Luiza Mendonça Luis Carlos Miéle Marcelo Serrado and Érika Mader |
| Country of origin | Brazil |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
| Running time | approx. 50 min (commercial free) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | HBO Latin America / Conspiração Filmes |
| Original run | October 30, 2005 – December 18, 2005 |
| Links | |
| IMDb profile | |
Mandrake is an original series created for the Brazilian branch of the HBO Latin America. The series was produced by HBO's local partner, Conspiração Filmes, on a budget of USD$6.5 million and first aired on October 30, 2005, being broadcast on Sundays at 11 O'clock pm (local Brazilian time: UTC -3).
The first ever HBO original series produced in Brazil, Mandrake was adapted from the character created by renowned Brazilian novelist, Rubem Fonseca, who is also known as an acute annalist of Rio de Janeiro 's diverse society, for his book A Grande Arte (The Grand Art). Fonseca was actively involved in the adaptation of his work to the small screen, and the general direction of the project was trusted to his own son, José Henrique Fonseca, by HBO's local partner, Conspiração Filmes.
The series' title is also highly suggestive, since the word "Mandrake", in Brazilian Portuguese, has a very specific colloquial meaning, as anything or anyone who is said to be "mandrake", or "a mandrake" is something or someone who isn't what it appears to be on the surface — it is usually something much worse, full of mischief or second intentions.
The series was met with great enthusiasm by critics, and plans exist for a second season, either in late 2006 or early 2007.
As part of a broader plan of distribution, the episodes were immediately dubbed in Spanish, so that HBO could distribute the show to its other Latin American branches.
Contents |
[edit] Overview
The series focuses on the character played by Marcos Palmeira, a criminal lawyer from Rio de Janeiro, Mandrake. His line of work consists mainly of helping wealthy people who are facing troubles with "lower segments" of the local society (such as rich men who may be being blackmailed by corrupt cops).
Mandrake's job is to deal with these unlovable members of Rio's subculture for his clients. A dangerous profession, but which pays off considerably.
He works out of a small, but highly respected, practice, where he has a partner, seventy-year-old Wexler, a Jewish lawyer who was Mandrake's late father's associate in the same practice. In it, Wexler in responsible for the Civil cases, whereas Mandrake (as was his father before him) is responsible for the Criminal ones. Completely honest, Wexler often scolds Mandrake, who he treats like his own son, for his unorthodox and sometimes not completely honest dealings and methods.
Mandrake is also a womanizer and a smooth operator, often dating two women at once and having numerous one night stands. Other than women, his other confessed additions are Cuban cigars and Portuguese wines.
The episodes are punctuated by narrations in off by Mandrake, where he ponders about the many aspects of human nature and life in modern society. Besides that, he also has informal discussions about life in general with some colleagues at a local Bar, named Bar do Zé.
[edit] Series history
HBO had a long standing project of producing original series in Brazil, but logistic obstacles had made it difficult for the project to take off.
Finally, in 2005, HBO was able to establish a local partnership, with a local studio named Conspiração Filmes, who was put in charge of producing the show. HBO would be responsible for funding the project and would have a say over the general layout of the project (which would have to meet the network's pattern of quality). Under HBO's general guidance, the show was shot in pelicule and the format of the episodes (which would be only a few), were to be the standard HBO format: approximately fifty minutes of running time, without commercials.
There was also a possibility, although not yet visited, of combining two of the episodes in one, to be released as a feature film in Brazilian cinemas.
[edit] Questionable funding
A source of some discomfort was the origin of the majority of the money used in the project.
A new piece of legislation in Brazil obliged all foreign cable networks to deposit an amount equal to 3% of the total profit they are to send back to their parent companies abroad. This deposit, which became known as Condecine, cannot be accessed by the network except if to fund local projects. If the given network does not use it within a certain period of time, than the amount deposited in the given period would go to the national fund for financing the Arts.
According to critics, it was this money, which HBO could not send back to its parent company in the US, that made possible the production of the first Brazilian original series. HBO declined any comments on the allegation.
[edit] Characters and cast
| Character | Actor/Actress | Tenure |
| Mandrake | Marcos Palmeira | Season 1+ |
| Wexler | Luis Carlos Miéle | Season 1+ |
| Raul | Marcelo Serrado | Season 1+ |
| Bebel | Érika Mader | Season 1+ |
| Berta Bronstein | Maria Luiza Mendonça | Season 1+ |
[edit] Main characters
- Mandrake: The title character, he is a brilliant Criminal lawyer. His main line of work is dealing with the characters from Rio de Janeiro's underworld on behalf of his clients: wealthy people, or high middle class people, who find themselves entangled with this parallel reality.
- Wexler: Mandrake's associate (and former associate of Mandrake's father). He plays the moral counterpart to Mandrake's unorthodox approach to his profession. Occasionally assists with the troubles Mandrake gets himself into.
- Raul: Mandrake's childhood friend who joined the Force and is now a police officer. He provides Mandrake with the "inside scoop", and often slips him privileged information that helps Mandrake win his cases.
- Bebel: Mandrake's considerably younger, "regular" lover.
- Berta: The "official girlfriend", she is always suspecting Mandrake's indiscretions, and often calls him on little lies he tells her. Seems willing to put up with a lot in order to prolongue the relationship.
[edit] Episodes
[edit] Season 1 (2005)
| Title | Nº | Director | Writer | Synopsis | Airdate(s) |
| A Cidade Não É Aquilo Que Se Vê Do Pão De Açúcar (The City is Not What is Seen from the Sugarloaf) |
#1 | José Henrique Fonseca | José Henrique Fonseca, Felipe Braga and Tony Belloto | A Playboy falls for a prostitute and hires Mandrake to negotiate her "release" from the brothel where she works. | October 30, 2005 (HBO) |
| Dia dos Namorados (Valentine's Day) |
#2 | Toni Vanzolini | José Henrique Fonseca, Felipe Braga and Tony Belloto | Mandrake works to resolve the troubles of a love triangle gone wrong. | November 6, 2005 (HBO) |
| Eva | #3 | Arthur Fontes | José Henrique Fonseca, Felipe Braga and Tony Belloto | Mandrake is hired by a senator who is blackmailed when his mistress turns up dead. | November 13, 2005 (HBO) |
| Yag | #4 | José Henrique Fonseca | José Henrique Fonseca, Felipe Braga and Tony Belloto | A famous stylist is blackmailed by an anonymous who threatens to expose his eccentric sex life | November 20, 2005 (HBO) |
| Detetive (Detective) |
#5 | Carolina Jabor | José Henrique Fonseca, Felipe Braga and Tony Belloto | N/A | November 27, 2005 (HBO) |
| Atum Vizcaya (Vizcaya Canned Tuna) |
#6 | Lula Buarque de Hollanda | José Henrique Fonseca, Felipe Braga and Tony Belloto | Mandrake intermediates when a rich kid turned drug dealer gets kidnapped for ransom by dirty cops. | December 4, 2005 (HBO) |
| Kolkata | #7 | Cláudio Torres | José Henrique Fonseca, Felipe Braga and Tony Belloto | A colleague calls Mandrake to handle an emergency in an orgy at a millionaire's mansion involving prominent people. | December 11, 2005 (HBO) |
| Amparo | #8 | Arthur Fontes | José Henrique Fonseca, Felipe Braga and Tony Belloto | When the ninfomaniac girlfriend of an Argentine pop star vanishes in the city, Mandrake is hired to find the girl. | December 18, 2005 (HBO) |
[edit] Guest spots
As a result of the prestige of the brand "HBO Original Series" and the creative freedom in the project, many Brazilian celebrities were interested in playing small parts in the episodes of Mandrake.
- A Cidade Não É O Que Se Vê Do Pão de Açúcar (The City is Not What is Seen from the Sugarloaf):
- Alexandre Frota (former male model, actor): plays the pimp Célio
- Daniel Dantas (actor): plays the playboy, "Baby Machado"
- Suzana Alves (also known as "Tiazinha" — entertainer): plays the prostitute "Linda"
- Dia dos Namorados (Valentine's Day):
- Bianca Soares (model): plays the transvestite "Viveca"
- Jean Pierre Noher (Argentine actor): plays the businessman J.J. Soares
- Ítalo Rossi (veteran actor): plays "Dr. Graff"
- Castrinho (veteran entertainer and actor): plays "Saldanha"
- Juliana Galvão (model): plays "Leilane"
- Alexia Deschamps (actress): plays "Gilda"
- Lavínia Vlasak (former model, actress): plays "Alexia"
- Kolkata:
- Cecil Thiré (veteran actor): plays the millionaire and bon-vivant "Julinho Pedrosa"
- Rodolfo Bottino (veteran actor and amateur cook): plays Chef "Enzo Fortuna"
- Evandro Mesquita (singer and actor): plays the Kama Sutra guru "Javi Kolkata"
[edit] Quotes
- Eu não sou qualquer advogado. Eu sou o Mandrake!
- I'm not just any lawyer. I'm Mandrake!
- Para um bom advogado o crime sempre compensa!
- For a good lawyer, crime always pays!
- Eu tenho alma de Sultão.
- I have the soul of a Sultan.
- From Atum Vizcaya:
- Wexler: O que pode ser mais seguro do que um lugar cheio de advogados?
- What could be safer than a place full of lawyers?
- Raul: E desde quando um lugar cheio de advogados é seguro?
- And since when is a place full of lawyers safe??
- Wexler: O que pode ser mais seguro do que um lugar cheio de advogados?
