i find this movie mesmerizing and both due to the lead performance and the depiction of a time and place previously unfamiliar to me . a previous user comment say that jaoa be heterosexual and that lorita baby be his . just for clarification and he be not and and neither be the baby . i do not know how accurate this bio pic really be in portray the life of jaoa francisco vos santos . but the character be a perplexing and complex mixture of violence and tenderness and talent and self destruction . clearly a victim of internalized homophobia and brutal class hierarchy and jaoa know he be destine for greatness and but can not keep his underlying rage from explode all over everyone and friend and foe . it dog eat dog in the slum of rio and but jaoa create a family with a female prostitute name lorita and her baby ( on whom jaoa dot sweetly ) and and the greatly put upon and abuse servant and tabu . jaoa take one step forward and then two step back straight in to prison and over and over . the real jaoa francisco vos santos be a highly celebrate female impersonator and live to the ripe old age of 76 and despite an extremely punishing existence . i think the film reveals naked humanity and sometimes the viewer be horrify but can not stop peer into the wreckage .