Plot Summary: A comedy about the daily struggles of puppets living in modern Portuguese society, exploring themes of identity, difference, and empathy through absurd humor and local cultural references.
Director: Manuel Pureza
Writers: Patricia Castanheira, Henrique Dias, Pedro Ferreira, Rui Melo, Roberto Pereira, Manuel Pureza, Filipe Santos
Producers: Andreia Esteves, Manuel Pureza
Music: Artur Guimarães
Cinematographer: Cristiano Santos
Starring:
Rui Melo as Inspector Paulo
Diana Nicolau as Inspector Sofia
Anabela Moreira as Dra. Engenheira Isabel
Luís Lobão as Rui
Cristovão Campos as Miguel
Miguel Raposo as Diogo
Susana Blazer as Beatriz
Samuel Alves as Rogério
Rita Tristão da Silva as Ana
Inês Aires Pereira as Dani
Romeu Vala as João
Pedro Diogo as Arlindo
Diogo Morgado as Noronha
Rodrigo Saraiva as Fred
Inês Castel-Branco as Teresa
Finally, a Portuguese Show With Balls
I'll be honest, I don't pay much attention to national productions. It's a bad habit, I know, but most of it just never grabbed me. So, when I decided to check out Felp, a new comedy that's available on HBO about the daily struggles of puppets living in modern society, I was expecting to last maybe ten minutes. Instead, the first episode completely hooked me with its sheer ballsiness. This is so far removed from the usual stuff we produce here, and I'm all for it. Right away, we meet the puppet cast and, more importantly, my two favorite human characters: Engenheira Isabel Lima (Anabela Moreira), the owner of a carpet manufacturing company hilariously named "Tapamisto," and Police Inspector Paulo (the fantastic Rui Melo). These two are absolutely brilliant. The show is also unapologetically local. I think half the jokes will fly over the heads of any foreign audience, hell, even Portuguese people not from Lisbon or the Margem Sul. As someone who lives on the South Side, hearing constant references to Almada, Seixal, and Arrentela in such an absurd context feels both special and hilarious.
Watch the clip below where we first meet the ridiculously funny Inspector Paulo and learn a uniquely Portuguese insult - "Eating ice creams with your forehead."
Lost in Translation & Pacing Problems
The show creates a surprising brand of humor with its "racist" slurs against the puppets, often using Portuguese expressions that get a whole new, twisted meaning. Phrases like "Andas para aí todo boneco" (walking around like a doll/mess) or "A rebentar pelas costuras" (bursting at the seams) are used as actual insults, and it's genius. But again, this is where the show's biggest strength is also its biggest hurdle for a wider audience. I don't want to sound like a broken record and scare you off; the physical comedy and fantastic performances from the actors will make you laugh no matter what, but the impact is definitely different if you're in on the local secrets. My only real criticism is the show's pacing. The musical numbers and random filler interstitials, like watching puppets laugh for a solid minute, felt totally unnecessary and killed the momentum of the short 25-minute episodes. What's worse is the inconsistency; they got rid of the musical acts halfway through the season, which I was grateful for, only to bring them back again. It gives the whole thing a slightly amateurish, disoriented feeling, which extends to the season finale itself. There's no real cliffhanger or finality, it just... ends.
Here's a great scene with my favorite puppet duo, Miguel and João, that showcases their dynamic perfectly.
The Humans Steal the Show
I don't want to sound like a puppet hater or a "bonequista" here, but the human actors brought me the most laughter, hands down. Diogo Morgado is perfect as the jurist who wears a tie to summer music festivals and is probably the worst professional in his field. Inês Aires Pereira as Dani, the mothball-addicted girlfriend to the puppet Miguel, is so good that I immediately started watching another one of her shows (Erro 404, review coming soon). Rodrigo Saraiva is very good in his small role as the conspiracy theorist who's convinced Tom Cruise isn't real. But the standout for me has to be Rui, the villain's assistant played by Luis Lobão. He is extremely funny as this little obedient weasel, and after all the abuse he takes, you can't help but sympathize with him.
Watch below the interaction between Dr. Isabel and her minion Rui. The line "Fica para a minha mãe, não tem problema" ("I will give them to my mother then, there's no problem") regarding menstrual cups is absolute perfection. Whoever wrote these lines should be kissed in the forehead.
Forget Empathy, It's All About the Quotes
The show is marketed as a comedy about difference, identity, and empathy, but let's be real, it's too absurd to have any real impact on those subjects. For me, it never once made me draw parallels between the puppets' struggles and the very real issues immigrants face. The story is interesting enough, but the show works best as a series of sketches. Where it truly shines is as a learning tool. If you're serious about learning Portuguese and our genuine millennial culture, it can't get any realer than this. We really are "uns grandes bonecos" (a bunch of big puppets/fools). For my fellow Portuguese, this is a gold mine of quotable phrases to add to your vocabulary. I'm already using the "Mário Kart and Schumacher do Lidl" comment in traffic every chance I get. It's these little remarks that make the show special, unique, and very, very Portuguese. We need more crazy, out-of-the-box shows like this.
Below is the hilarious car conversation with the phrases I mentioned.
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