Doleira: A História de Nelma Kodama 2024 Movie Review
Until a few years ago, MTV produced the program Cribs , in which celebrities showed viewers around their multi-million dollar villas. People who lend themselves to this type of television generally have one thing in common: they are genuine narcissists. That label certainly also applies to Nelma Kodama, a Brazilian dentist who set up an empire of money laundering practices, was exposed and, through Netflix, seems to have been right after all in a curious way. Nelma proudly shows us the Italian furniture in her luxury apartment and tells us about dollars, politicians and operation ‘Carwash’, but above all, of course: about her own personality.
Nelma sees herself as an artist, a conductor. When she talks about her criminal past in impeccable outfit and make-up, she delivers it with the bombast of an actor who must give the audience an unforgettable evening. Insofar as her story does not already have the characteristics of a Hollywood saga, she adds it herself. Nelma clearly thinks she is a fantastic person and enjoys talking about her own ingenuity and business instincts. The documentary supports this with romanticizing, reenacted scenes, often in slow-motion.
In addition to Nelma herself, friends, journalists, lawyers and former employees have their say, both supporters and opponents of the money launderer. One of the interviewees jokingly calls her ‘Satan in a skirt’, but no one really shames her mercilessly. Everyone seems to be captivated by the charm of the expressive Brazilian; it is the devil’s best trick. The team of young lawyers still fighting for annulment of Nelma’s verdict in the Car Wash case even adores her to the point of morbidness.
But we are talking about a woman who used children as money smugglers and through her ‘profession’ facilitated criminal activities that create real victims. One of those victims is the Brazilian rainforest, where ninety-eight percent of logging takes place illegally, which is only possible through money laundering schemes like Nelma’s. Doleira: A História de Nelma Kodama features several speakers who explain in detail that white-collar crime is absolutely not clean, but Nelma has none of that. She sees herself as a taxi driver, who simply took salespeople to customers. She also delicately charged double percentages for herself.
The documentary ends with a number of indictments against major financial systems and the structure of the global economy, which is largely based on corruption and black money. A signal and warning, also for Western powers. Furthermore, the story of the glamorous villain, who went to talk shows and photo shoots wearing her ankle bracelet, is something that Dutch viewers will not easily relate to. We have Sywert van Lienden again.
Nelma is a medium-sized fish without honor and conscience in the vast sea of financial crime, although she thinks very differently about it. Netflix gives it carte blanche on the television stage, which will do no harm to its social media. She can buy some Italian antiques from it again. The documentary presses the accelerator halfway against the romanticization of crime, but mainly seems to be a plaything of this genuine narcissist. Did she still succeed?
