Margarette's Feast (2003) User Reviews

A cross between Chaplin and Fellini

[maple-2 · 7/10 · 7 March 2004]

After losing his job in a layoff, Pedro (Gomez) cannot tell his family or the others in their happy but poor shared household. Instead he has a dream of finding a suitcase with an inexhaustible supply of money and using that to give his wife Margarette (Kaplan) an unforgettable birthday feast. Through the dream he always has to watch out for the petty police officers and is embraced by the poor who are happy to see him when he hands out money. At the end of the feast he has only the bill from the grocer and no money to pay.

This is an odd cross between Chaplin and Fellini, with subtle expressions of emotion, clear social commentary, Nino Rota like music and a bittersweet ending.

Well made.

Just goes to show ya', how wrong you can be!

[nicskirat · 10/10 · 11 March 2004]

I saw this movie be accident at the 27th annual Portland International Film Festival. I'm thinking to myself..."Black and white, no way....Silent film, no way, Brazilian, no way." No way was I ever so impressed with such a simple and beautiful film, with a message that hits so close to home it gives me goosebumps as I type.

I have seen thousands of films looking for ones that said what I would have wanted to say, with characters that feel the way I have felt, that dreamed my dreams. This is one of those films.

If you search for a film with meaning and weight, depth and dynamic, not a moment wasted, this 80 minute B&W silent film will surely go in your all time top ten. See it if you can.