. 5 ▁million ▁view ers ▁in ▁ 2 0 ▁countries ▁saw ▁the ▁movie . ▁ ▁Roger ▁E bert ▁described ▁the ▁film ▁in ▁the ▁Chicago ▁Sun - Times ▁as ▁" a ▁rough , ▁un bl inking ▁look ▁at ▁lives ▁no ▁human ▁being ▁should ▁be ▁required ▁to ▁lead . ▁And ▁the ▁eyes ▁of ▁Fernando ▁Ram os ▁da ▁Silva , ▁[ B aben co ' s ] ▁do omed ▁young ▁actor , ▁regard ▁us ▁from ▁the ▁screen ▁not ▁in ▁hurt , ▁not ▁in ▁accus ation , ▁not ▁in ▁regret ▁- ▁but ▁simply ▁in ▁accept ance ▁of ▁a ▁des olate ▁daily ▁reality ." ▁ ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁film ▁critic ▁Vincent ▁Can by ▁wrote , ▁"[ P ix ote ' s ] ▁performances ▁are ▁almost ▁too ▁good ▁to ▁be ▁true , ▁but ▁Mr . ▁Da ▁Silva ▁and ▁Miss ▁P era ▁are ▁splendid . ▁P ix ote ▁is ▁not ▁for ▁the ▁weak ▁of ▁st om ach . ▁A ▁lot ▁of ▁the ▁details ▁are ▁t ough ▁to ▁take , ▁but ▁it ▁is ▁neither ▁explo itative ▁nor ▁pret ent ious . ▁Mr . ▁B aben co ▁shows ▁us ▁rock - bottom , ▁and ▁because ▁he ▁is ▁an ▁artist , ▁he ▁makes ▁us ▁believe ▁it ▁as ▁well ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁possibilities ▁that ▁have ▁been ▁lost ." ▁ ▁Life ▁after ▁P ix ote ▁Da ▁Silva ' s ▁new found ▁success ▁land ed ▁him ▁a ▁one - year ▁contract ▁on ▁TV ▁Glo bo ▁in ▁a ▁prime - time ▁soap ▁opera . ▁However , ▁he ▁was ▁soon ▁fired ▁for ▁being ▁perce ived ▁as ▁lazy