Latest news with #FranciscoMelo
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘The Luminous Life' Review: A Breezy and Melancholic Portrait of a Portuguese Zoomer Looking for Love, Plus a Steady Job
Films about 20-something characters drifting aimlessly through life have a tendency to drift themselves, but that can also be part of their charm. Not every movie needs to be a nail-biter, and not every plot needs to be engineered like a Maserati. Some of the best examples of the genre — Dazed and Confused, Before Sunrise, Frances Ha, Fellini's I Vitelloni — convey that feeling of endless drifting while remaining altogether captivating. In a sense, the drift becomes the crux of the story. Nicolau (Francisco Melo), the shy and shaggy protagonist at the heart of Joao Rosas' debut feature, The Luminous Life (A Vida Luminosa), feels like the quintessential drifter of our time — or at least as such a time exists in a contemporary western European capital. Lovesick and forever looking for gainful employment, he wanders around Lisbon in search of something he can't quite name or put his hands on. Maybe it's hope? Or a viable career? Or a new girlfriend? Whatever it is, he doesn't seem very motivated to find it, yet his meandering quest manages to intrigue all the same. More from The Hollywood Reporter 'Broken Voices' Review: A Girl's Dreams Are Shattered by Sexual Predation in an Artful Drama From the Czech Republic Karlovy Vary: 'Sentimental Value' Star Stellan Skarsgård Will Record THR's 'Awards Chatter' Pod in Front of Fest Audience 'When a River Becomes the Sea': An Archaeologist Digs Deep to Uncover and Confront Sexual Trauma Both breezy and melancholic, the film reveals hints of Eric Rohmer with its series of random romantic encounters — including one in which Nicolau crosses paths with a French girl, Chloé (Cécile Matignon), who becomes a love interest. But it also bears the forlorn aimlessness of Robert Bresson's Four Nights of a Dreamer, going so far as to cite Bresson's writings during a sequence set at the Cinemateca Portugesa. Although French cinema may be the inspiration behind much of The Luminous Life, the film feels Portuguese through and through, blending a dreamy sadness with moments of surreal comedy and sensuality, not unlike the work of late auteur Joao Cesar Monteiro. Still living with his parents when the movie starts, and still attached to a girl he broke up with a year ago, Nicolau doesn't seem to have any real goals except, perhaps, getting out of his rut. 'You're letting life pass you by,' someone warns him, to which he replies: 'I just can't see myself doing anything.' He manages to get a two-week temp job counting bike riders on city streets, lands an interview at a fancy advertising firm, and finally winds up working at a stationary store, where he's obliged to dress as Santa Claus in the middle of spring. In his spare time, he plays bass in a band that never seems to get along, putting a damper on a music career that he hasn't taken too seriously, anyway. It's not much to build a film on, but Rosas sustains our interest through the sincerity of the encounters we witness, most of which involve Nicolau hanging out with women his age — women who, for the most part, are a lot more focused and career-oriented than he is. They're attracted by his good looks and laid-back charms, but also aware of the fact he isn't going anywhere. At some point we start wondering whether Nicolau's ex felt the same way, moving on in life while her boyfriend was still figuring out what to do with his. To complicate matters, we also learn that Nicolau's hardworking dad is being cheated on, making his son question the value of a sustainable job if it ultimately ruins your marriage. The director and cinematographer Paulo Menezes capture these queries in colorful vignettes set against an urban backdrop that never feels touristy. We see the city as it exists for regular people — and hear it through sound design that amplifies the quotidian movement of cars, buses, trams and bicycles. When there is music, it comes from Nicolau's band as they rehearse numbers that channel the mood of the lead character and the movie itself: relaxed, thoughtful, a bit pop and a bit aloof. The plot thickens in the closing reels when Nicolau drifts closer to Chloé, who's in town writing a thesis on cemeteries entitled 'The Architecture of Death' — a subject that seems diametrically opposed to her free-spirited, sensual demeanor. Is it possible Nicolau has finally found the love he's been searching for? The answer could be yes, but Rosas also suggests that he may be repeating the same mistakes from before. If there's perhaps any moral to this wistful journey toward nowhere, it's that the only luminous life worth living is the one you've built for yourself, once you figure out what that is. Best of The Hollywood Reporter The 40 Best Films About the Immigrant Experience Wes Anderson's Movies Ranked From Worst to Best 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Yahoo
Florida deputy tried to sneak 60 MDMA pills onto cruise ship in Skittles bags: officials
The Brief Francisco Melo has been relieved of his duties as a deputy for the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office after he was arrested for attempting to smuggle MDMA pills onto a cruise ship by hiding them in Skittles bags, authorities said. Melo was taken into custody before he boarded the cruise ship at Port Miami. A total of 60 MDMA pills were found during a search of his luggage. MIAMI-DADE, Fla. - A Florida deputy was arrested last week after he was caught trying to sneak MDMA pills onto a cruise ship in Skittles bags, authorities said. The backstory The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office launched an investigation in December 2024 into one of its own deputies, Francisco Melo, after he was identified as a MDMA dealer, according to an arrest affidavit. Authorities used a confidential informant, who arranged a purchase from Melo, buying 12 MDMA pills for $240. The informant later told deputies that Melo was scheduled to sail aboard the Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas cruise ship at Port Miami on Jan. 23, and that the deputy was expected to smuggle MDMA pills onto the ship by hiding them inside Skittles candy bags. MORE NEWS: Florida woman arrested in connection to husband's homicide, deputies say Florida deputies search for suspects in illegal deer killing Investigators then secured an arrest warrant with the intention of taking him into custody before he boarded the ship at Port Miami. At the port, they stopped Melo as he exited his vehicle and requested to search his luggage, which he consented to. Law enforcement found six Skittles candy bags in his luggage – five of which contained MDMA pills, authorities said. A total of 60 pills, weighing 35 grams, were recovered from his luggage. Deputies said the pills in his luggage matched the shape, color and size of the pills Melo previously sold to the informant, officials said. He was arrested and booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center where he remains. Francisco Melo was employed as a deputy and was a 6-year veteran of the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office. He was relieved of duty and faces charges of possession, sale, and trafficking of a controlled substance. What they're saying"As sheriff, it's my duty to make sure that our community can trust our deputies to protect them and uphold the law. I am disappointed to inform you that one of my deputies has been arrested for trafficking a controlled don't just harm those who use them, they devastate families, and fuel crime. No one is above the law, and this office will not tolerate criminal behavior from anyone, especially those entrusted to enforce it. The actions of this individual are a betrayal of the public trust and of all the deputies who work tirelessly to protect our community. We will cooperate fully with the State Attorney's Office throughout the legal process." Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) defines the illegal drug of methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA, as a "party drug" that "acts as both a stimulant and a psychedelic, producing an energizing effect, distortions in time and perception, and enhanced enjoyment of tactile experiences." Known by the street name of ectasy or molly, the psychoactive drug reduces inhibitions, often promoting euphoria, feelings of closeness, empathy, and sexuality, officials said. "Users of MDMA experience many of the same effects and face many of the same risks as users of other stimulants such as cocaine and amphetamines," according to a statement on the DEA's website. "These include increased motor activity, alertness, heart rate, and blood pressure." STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local:Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV The Source This story was written based on information shared by the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration's website.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Yahoo
Florida deputy accused of trying to smuggle drugs in Skittles bags
(NewsNation) — A Miami-Dade sheriff's deputy was arrested and stands accused of trying to smuggle MDMA pills onto a cruise ship. Francisco Melo, 36, was behind bars on Friday morning after detectives arrested him at the Royal Caribbean terminal in PortMiami before boarding the Allure of the Seas, according to NewsNation affiliate WFLA. Melo has been relieved of his duties after 60 pills were found inside Skittles bags, according to investigators. ICE arrests 956 Sunday as nationwide raids continue He has been charged with possession, sale and trafficking of a controlled substance. In a statement to NBC 6, Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz condemned the alleged actions of Melo. 'The actions of this individual are a betrayal of the public trust and of all the deputies who work tirelessly to protect our community,' she said. 'We will cooperate fully with the state attorney's office throughout the legal process.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
