A very nice Portuguese film that makes you smile and laugh, with very good production values (except the Portuguese blight - the sound). It's rare to find a Portuguese film that dares to be low key, but this one does and gets away with it nicely. There's a coherence to it, too, and a well rounded off resolution.
And there are some lovely performances, notably from the hilarious Ana Brito e Cunha as Isilda and the very lovely Isabel Abreu as Joana. Along with the stunning Catarina Furtado as the Maria of the title, these are three friends who just can't seem to get their relationships right, but we have a couple of hours' fun (with the occasional moist eye) watching them try.
And there are some lovely performances, notably from the hilarious Ana Brito e Cunha as Isilda and the very lovely Isabel Abreu as Joana. Along with the stunning Catarina Furtado as the Maria of the title, these are three friends who just can't seem to get their relationships right, but we have a couple of hours' fun (with the occasional moist eye) watching them try.