Exceeded all expectations; it's a gem of a movie, especially for a Portuguese one! Nice plot, a perfect cast, a postcard location in Portugal and, most of all, a whole generation in a self-portrait of the Portuguese community in France, with some tears between many laughs
Even so, I do believe that director Ruben Alves missed the chance to end the movie a few instants earlier, closing a comedy in the traditional drama's style, as last minutes appeals for some tears from the audience. In my opinion, the plot is too strong to begin and end as a comedy, and some work might have been done to take the opportunity to run the movie in a serious "La Vita È Bella" style, instead of the silly path for the nice feeling sensation, with Pauleta's presence being a completely non-sense – as the Brazilian's says, "Puxa Saco" (it has no translation)!
Anyway, I strongly recommend it to be seen; we only have a masterpiece like this once in a while
Even so, I do believe that director Ruben Alves missed the chance to end the movie a few instants earlier, closing a comedy in the traditional drama's style, as last minutes appeals for some tears from the audience. In my opinion, the plot is too strong to begin and end as a comedy, and some work might have been done to take the opportunity to run the movie in a serious "La Vita È Bella" style, instead of the silly path for the nice feeling sensation, with Pauleta's presence being a completely non-sense – as the Brazilian's says, "Puxa Saco" (it has no translation)!
Anyway, I strongly recommend it to be seen; we only have a masterpiece like this once in a while