O Grande Kilapy

2012
1h 40m

IMDb RATING

6.0/10

154

YOUR RATING

JoÃ£ozinho (Little Johnny) was a phenomenon in his time.

As a promising young Angolan of mixed blood, he studied engineering in Lisbon, where he picked up the social skills of the power elite in the fascist government, then suffered a broken leg for two-timing a ministerÂ’s daughter.

The secret police also had it in for JoÃ£ozinho because he was popular with fellow students working to incite revolution. They get nothing from interrogation but pack him out of Lisbon and home to Angola.

His father calls in a favour to place him at the Colonial Tax Office in Luanda, where JoÃ£ozinho artfully pockets money skimmed off transactions to fund a luxury lifestyle and support his friends in the growing liberation movement, even as he takes no part in it.

He frequents the best tailors, drives a fancy car, steps out with beautiful women and develops a reputation for always buying drinks for everyone in the house.

JoÃ£ozinhoÂ’s recklessness remains unflappable; but his prestige in the community grows only to the point where his behavior becomes intolerable to the establishment old guard.

In the Angolan language of Kimbundu, kilapy means scheme, fraud or swindle.

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Comedy Crime Drama

Zézé Gamboa's sardonic historical drama follows a good-hearted, apolitical con man who, on the eve of Angolan independence in the mid-1970s, pulls off a massive swindle at the expense of the... Read allZézé Gamboa's sardonic historical drama follows a good-hearted, apolitical con man who, on the eve of Angolan independence in the mid-1970s, pulls off a massive swindle at the expense of the Portuguese colonial administration.Zézé Gamboa's sardonic historical drama follows a good-hearted, apolitical con man who, on the eve of Angolan independence in the mid-1970s, pulls off a massive swindle at the expense of the Portuguese colonial administration.

Director
- Zézé Gamboa
Writers
- Luís Alvarães
- Luis Carlos Patraquim
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.0/10

154

YOUR RATING

Director
- Zézé Gamboa
Writers
- Luís Alvarães
- Luis Carlos Patraquim
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 2 wins & 14 nominations

Videos1

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7.0

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Storyline

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Trivia
KILAPY - word of the Angolan dialect Kimbundu meaning coup, scheme, fraud, borrow without paying.

Quotes
Raul: You're the best. You left the criminal investigation detectives fuming. So come on, how do you do it? With your tongue? How do you do it, man? As much cunt as you want, the best cars, loads of friends. I'd like to do it as well. Who wouldn't. You must have something...
Joãozinho: Either you've got it or you haven't.

Crazy credits
The end credits feature pictures of Portuguese leaving Angola after its independence

Connections
References Goldfinger (1964)

Soundtracks
Lisboa à Noite
(theme song)
Music and poem by Fernando dos Santos and Carlos Alberto Dias
Sung by Teresa
From the compilation album "Portugal DeLuxe Volume 1: Um Cocktail Estereofónico"
(C) 1997-03-17 NorteSul

User reviews2

Review

Featured review

8/10

witty and pretty tale with a hint about Portuguese colonialism

A playful story with nostalgic tribute to the beauties of a time past - the 1960s. At the same time it educates about the oppression and revolutionary mood in Portugal and its colonies of that time. The plot follows black Angolan playboy's quest in good life in the both fixed and fluid hierarchies of colonial life. It paints a non-ideological picture where black Angolans and Portuguese may be friends, may get laid or even be comrades in the dream for independence, at the same time as colonial racism is widespread. The revolution is not perfect either...

All this is portrayed in very unassuming plot, as the protagonist's main aim is to take the most from the pleasures of youth while avoiding politics but that is hardly possible and makes for a constant stream of unexpended developments. A very nice and well done film!