Getulio

Getúlio, directed by João Jardim, is a Brazilian film starring Tony Ramos as president Getúlio Vargas, covering the final nineteen days before his suicide. The crisis begins on August 5, 1954, with an assassination attempt outside the home of opposition journalist Carlos Lacerda, organized by Vargas's own personal bodyguard; the bullets miss Lacerda and kill an officer standing nearby. As political pressure mounts and the military demands his resignation, Vargas shoots himself in the chest at Catete Palace on the morning of August 24, 1954, leaving behind a suicide letter that closes with the line "Serenely, I take my first step toward eternity." Tony Ramos won Best Actor for the role at the 2015 Grande Prêmio do Cinema Brasileiro. Who it's for: anyone curious about a Brazilian drama that reconstructs a president's final nineteen days with documentary precision, down to a real assassination attempt and a real suicide letter. Who it's not for: those wanting the full picture of Vargas's contentious three decade political legacy, since the film focuses narrowly on the final collapse.