Rio, I Love You Trailer (2016)

Trailer for Rio, I Love You.

The third episode of the Cities of Love franchise, Rio, I Love YouRio, I Love You is an anthology, created by 10 visionary directors from across the globe. The story line of each segment focuses on an encounter of love in a different neighborhood of the city, demonstrating the distinctive qualities and character of that location. The film serves to bridge gaps between cultures, educating and entertaining the audience, while celebrating unique and universal expressions of love.

Rio, I Love You is a sequel of sorts to Paris, je t'aime and New York, I Love You; all part of the Cities of Love franchise. Considering that the story takes place in Brazil, the production was sure to be helmed by Brazilian directors including: Carlos Saldanha, Jose Padilha, Andrucha Waddington and Fernando Meirelles. Like the film's before it, Rio presents stories through "segments".

The Rio, I Love You trailer definitely kicks off with more energy -- it is Rio after all -- than the previous two installments in this "franchise," and seems to hint at a somewhat sacrilegious affair; a segment starring Harvey Keitel. Makes sense considering there was some religious "drama" surrounding the film, but that was mostly because of the depiction of that huge Christ statue. Not sure how they worked that out, but looks like the famous statue might have been trimmed from the final product judging by this preview.

The ensemble is terrific, making sure to cast a number of actors I love including Jason Isaac, Rodrigo Santoro -- who took ballet lessons for the role -- and, as a bit of a curve ball, Ryan Kwanten, whose character looks to be involved in a homosexual relationship. Again, this is all guessing based on what we've seen from this trailer.

In the end, Rio, I Love You looks a bit too dramatic for my taste, but men everywhere should expect their women to push for at least an at-home viewing. #sigh

The one thing the trailer seems tragically short of is thongs. Isn't Brazil known for that?