It took me 10 years to learn of this film's existence. I'm very sorry I wasn't paying more attention. It came out at a time when I had pretty much given up on films in general and Hollywood films in particular.
How was I to know that somewhere in the world a courageous director chose to film a story that didn't involve sex, comic-book sadistic or crime-glorifying violence, fake superheroics or CGI-augmented horror? How was I to know that not all Latin directors were involved in a world of idiotic and heartless self-centered proto-fascistic make-believe like, say, Guillermo Del Toro? How was I to know that Brazilian actress Fernanda Montenegro who got robbed of an Oscar by Gwyneth Paltrow in the almost preternaturally ridiculous and superficial "Shakespeare In Love" gave a performance that is rarely imaginable at the movies? Or that Brazil could produce a film that can rival Murnau's "Sunrise" or the neo-realist masterpieces of Vittorio De Sica for the title of "best film ever made"?
I watched this multi-leveled, multi-faceted reflexion piece dubbed in French late one recent Sunday night on Radio-Canada while recovering from the flu. The tears I cried were very good for my sinus condition. But they were also cried for the fact that I was such an idiot for having let this film slip by.
If you haven't seen it yet, there is still time. Watch it and ask yourself: What happened to America that it can't tell simple, moving and true stories like this one anymore? You won't have to cry but you will anyway.
How was I to know that somewhere in the world a courageous director chose to film a story that didn't involve sex, comic-book sadistic or crime-glorifying violence, fake superheroics or CGI-augmented horror? How was I to know that not all Latin directors were involved in a world of idiotic and heartless self-centered proto-fascistic make-believe like, say, Guillermo Del Toro? How was I to know that Brazilian actress Fernanda Montenegro who got robbed of an Oscar by Gwyneth Paltrow in the almost preternaturally ridiculous and superficial "Shakespeare In Love" gave a performance that is rarely imaginable at the movies? Or that Brazil could produce a film that can rival Murnau's "Sunrise" or the neo-realist masterpieces of Vittorio De Sica for the title of "best film ever made"?
I watched this multi-leveled, multi-faceted reflexion piece dubbed in French late one recent Sunday night on Radio-Canada while recovering from the flu. The tears I cried were very good for my sinus condition. But they were also cried for the fact that I was such an idiot for having let this film slip by.
If you haven't seen it yet, there is still time. Watch it and ask yourself: What happened to America that it can't tell simple, moving and true stories like this one anymore? You won't have to cry but you will anyway.