COUSINS--Mauro Carvalho & Thiago Cazado's sweet, gay fairytale from Brazil--opens in L.A.

Sweetness and charm can help a little independent movie go a long way. For the latest example, see COUSINS, a small delight from Brazil that the country's current right-wing dictator is no doubt hoping to ban or perhaps have its cast and crew "disappeared" forthwith. Meanwhile, the film -- co-directed by Mauro Carvalho (below) and Thiago Cazado (who doubles as screenwriter and triples as one of the film's two stars) -- opens this week in Los Angeles where it should attract a fairly pleased and loyal following.

Co-star Paulo Souza (shown below) plays a closeted young man named Lucas who lives with his aunt and is told by this religious but also quite caring woman that she must go away on some sort church-group trip, and that while she is gone he is to expect a visit from his cousin, Mario, whom Lucas he has never met and who is just now out of prison (don't worry: it's for a minor offense) and that Mario will be staying with them for awhile.

Of course that cousin (played by Cazado, below) turns out to be an adorable and very hot young man who shows a decided interest in Lucas, and before you can say, "OK: How long do we have to wait for the first sex scene?", they are going at it hot and heavy.

The sex is fun and quite sexy, and there's enough full-frontal to satisfy fans. More important, however: The two performances are lovely and real, and they help us glide easily over the screenplay's coincidence, happenstance and obviousness.

A naughty, jealous neighbor girl brings the plot to a boil, yet the film is so full of good nature and good humor (along with its good-looking cast) that there is really little to stop you from giving in to its sweetness and charm and simply going with the flow.

Sure, it's a fairytale, but it's a lovely one that might just make you forget, even momentarily, the downward spiral of a country for whom we had, for awhile at least, higher hopes. Still, who are we to throw stones, as the USA now has one of the world's prime sleazebags as its leader?

From TLA Releasing and running just 82 minutes, Cousins -- in Portuguese with English subtitles -- opens tomorrow, Friday, November 1, in Los Angeles at Laemmle's Music Hall 3. And as it's from TLA, there is sure to be a DVD/digital release in the offing soon.