The "what if?" technique of three alternate life lines that 'Amores Possiveis' employs makes for a very interesting story if not a classic feature. The film's well-directed and well-acted definitely but its true strength lies in the script.
The different versions of each of the players are especially well characterised. Carolina Ferraz is absolutely amazing in portraying the different places that the character of Julia finds herself in and making them believable, Emílio de Melo makes each Pedro amusing in different ways while keeping the same subtly sentimental core.
Most importantly however, though principal actor, Murilo Benício doesn't seem to be the most astonishing of actors, he has an amazing and amazingly written character, in Carlos, whose portrayal he absolutely owns. And so 'Amores Possiveis' ends up being a more than decent film -great in bits, a tad trite perhaps in others- but an absolutely excruciating portrayal of the many ways that one single man can be a cowardly, childish asshole and how there may still be those slight possibilities that he can escape his own shortcomings.
The different versions of each of the players are especially well characterised. Carolina Ferraz is absolutely amazing in portraying the different places that the character of Julia finds herself in and making them believable, Emílio de Melo makes each Pedro amusing in different ways while keeping the same subtly sentimental core.
Most importantly however, though principal actor, Murilo Benício doesn't seem to be the most astonishing of actors, he has an amazing and amazingly written character, in Carlos, whose portrayal he absolutely owns. And so 'Amores Possiveis' ends up being a more than decent film -great in bits, a tad trite perhaps in others- but an absolutely excruciating portrayal of the many ways that one single man can be a cowardly, childish asshole and how there may still be those slight possibilities that he can escape his own shortcomings.