Aquarius (2016) Brasil, France

Home is where all the memories preserved.

Genre:

Drama.

Length:

Approximately 5-minute read.


Review:
     I have to start the review by mentioning the recent year Russian film 'Durak', also known as 'The Fool' in English. In the same year, another similar themed Russian film, 'Leviathan' got nominated for the Oscars. What those both films highlighted were not just the corruptions, but the threats the common people face. Raising voice for good against evil is still a distant for such potential country. Here comes the Brasilian version. This is not on the same level. I meant the intensity of the event, how all folds. Nevertheless, the same core issue in a different continent.

     This film met with several controversies. One of them omitted it from the Oscars race. But the film was received well from all the quarters. I did not find any issue. I thought it became unfortunate victim, especially, could be because of the developers and their connection with the corrupt powerful men. It's neither a masterpiece. I just consider it a good film. A message film. But not for everyone. Particularly, it is good for grownups viewing for the reason I'll going mention later.

     The story of the 65 year old Clara. Her life has been successful being a music critic. Now a widow, and all her children settled down. It opened on her birthday where all the friends and family gathered to celebrate the occasion. Living alone in a small and beautiful beach view apartment. But the thing is she's the last one who still in that old building. Everyone had left it when the developers decided to demolish it and build a modern one. She's fighting to save the heritage. All her memories lie in there. But the developers have a different plan to force her out, and that's the remaining film to unfold how and other following developments.

 So when you like it, it's 'vintage'. If you don't like it, it's 'old'. Right? 

     The opening scene was a slight offbeat. Because right away it does not reveal who is the person of the film. Besides, some of the odd scenes in the middle would raise some eyebrows. Those were not actually the full fledged scenes, but glimpses that goes back to like the 70s or something. The idea of those parts were not properly understandable, but I think it is about missing those good times. The lone fighter concept was inspiring. At one point, when everybody around her thought that she's making an unnecessary scene out of it, she was firm on her decision and did what has to be done.

     This was one of those films I did not like it on the spot. But slowly captivated. Once it's focus was fixed on one particular character, the rest of the tale set forward on what it wanted to tell us. As I understood it, it was not exactly about corruption, except a part of it was. It was the fight for ones right. A fight to save the past. On the other hand, the people from her opposite are ready to take extreme steps to defeat her. That's where it gets into the controversy. The controversy of those stupid tricks used to achieve the goal. This kind of a film coming from Brasil is really wonderful to educate poor knowledge people who easily become victims in a similar fashion.

     It was a French-Brasil collaboration film. I'm reviewing it after a couple of days of my watch. Because I wanted to think about it for a while, scene by scene. The more I recall, the more I'm starting to like it. So I advise same to you as well that don't come to any conclusion just after you have watched. Because it could not be what you have heard about it. My only issue was the runtime. The 150 minutes were a too long. But manageable if you watch regularly, such slow films.

     Well written, directed and acted. Even the location was ideal. But they could have avoided the those sex scenes which I earlier labelled them as odd scenes. There were too many, even camera pans out from somewhere far away in the bush. Kind of unrelated. I am not against such an idea, as human daily life filled with those. But when the theme was seriously pivoting on a serious issue, these came as distraction. Why I'm pointing out that strongly is that a fine film like this should be for all ages, even for teenagers. It missed that opportunity. Otherwise and still a nice drama film to recommend the adults.



Suitable for:
Tween, Teen, Adult, All


Final verdict:
Ignore, Bad, Average, Good, Excellent


Similar movies:
A Man Called Ove, My Old Lady, Leviathan, Durak, I Daniel Blake, That Evening Sun.


External link(s):

WCA geolocation:
Right now we're in

Casa Grande (2014) Brasil

About a rich Brasilian family.

Genre:

Drama.

Length:

Approximately 5-minute read.


Review:
     In my reviews quite a few times I have mention deja vu, because of encountering similar films. As for this, it was another Brasilian film that came after this, but I saw that one first. It was 'The Second Mother', the Brasilian entry for the 2016 Oscars. Quite similar in narration, particularly about how Brasilian rich families function, but lots of sub-topics too were covered. It's like a mixed flavour, a slice of everything.

     Still, the film was fascinating. You know drama films are usually predictable, as well as unpredictable. For instance, a few events resembles to that of our life or that happened our surroundings. And sometimes for taking place in a different country, if you are not familiar with that culture, it becomes a reason to show our interest while we proceed watching it. Seems it was a coming-of-age theme, and it remains that way, but in between the gaps, like I said you will witness the variety.

     If you had already seen the film that I mentioned earlier, you would feel you had already seen around ten per cent of this film. Like you only need a brief intro to understand the film characters and what follows does not need to get used to the atmosphere in the story. Its about another rich couple with two teenagers and their domestic workers. These characters are the centre of the story and focused each others' bondage, as well as the other side of the their lives like encountering their friends, business, society et cetera. It was a neatly folded film, except I felt the daughter remained a bit mystery.

 No boss ever wins a labour lawsuit in this country. 

     The major part of the story was preferred to tell from the boy's perspective. Hailing from a rich family, he was given a very protected life from his father. But he decides to experience the reality of society and that gives him an opportunity to meet a girl. So there's a romance in it, but a small part. As he's a teenager, his sexual curiosity too was explored, but in a most possible decent way. Because if you see the film poster, it gives a different impression, just like the film 'Marina'.

     In some parts, the film was slow, but considering it is more than a hundred minutes long, the overall pace was good to stay with it till the end. All the actors were excellent and the director did his job decently. But the surprising part was about the topic of racism. I always thought Brasil was one of the tolerant countries when it comes to ethnicity and social classes. Though nothing serious, everything was mostly verbal discussions that ended both ways after those involved expressed their views. Overall, it was a bit different, unlike what we see in American films. Mainly because it arose after an argument with another topic, 'quota', for the socially backward classes.

     I usually enjoy watching this kind of realistic portrayal. It's like witnessing a different culture and lifestyle, in a cinematic way. If you are a film fanatic like me, you will get the point. The structure of characters and plot, all looked fine. The writing must be appreciated, it will work for the majority of the viewers, but still not appealing enough for some sections of the audience. Otherwise the film would have been recognised equal to the other Brasil film I compared with. This is a 'go for it' film. Not just for entertainment, but to understand how life takes turns that's not yours. So I think it is worth a watch.



Suitable for:
Tween, Teen, Adult, All


Final verdict:
Ignore, Bad, Average, Good, Excellent


Similar movies:
Second Mother, Little White Lies, Like Sunday Like Rain, The First Day of the Rest of Your Life,


External link(s):
      

WCA geolocation:
Right now we're in

Boy and the World (2014) Brasil

We live gloriously, but we won't let the world.

Original title:

O Menina e o Mundo (Portuguese)

Genre:

Animation (2D), Adventure, Family.

Length:

Approximately 6-minute read.


Review:
     The film was nominated at the 88th American Academy Awards for best animated feature and lost to 'Inside Out', but won one at Annie Awards out of three nominees. Originally from Brasil, a 80 minutes long, I mean short film, excluding the opening and end credits which makes it even shorter. The tale was told with the beautiful visuals and music, without any dialogues to reach the audience making no complication. Because it was not just an entertainer, but a message bearer.

     The animation type was simple, yet awesome. All the drawings were done by the director himself. Totally colourful crayons sketches. It was supposed to be a documentary, but later became a feature film. The story about a boy who lives with his parents in the rural growing up loving all the wonders of the nature. He observes the changing world as his father bids a goodbye to him to look for a better job in the city, but never returned. So the curious little kid who loves his father very much takes us an adventure when industrial revolution taking place. The rest of the film tells whether he finds what he's looking for.

     There were many animations got released in the same year, but this film got the Oscars nod because of the strong message. Especially in the present world this kind of film brings more awareness to the people. It focused the theme man destroying the beautiful world for the profit and dumping the waste everywhere. I am sure you might have seen several documentary films on this topic, but this one was different which was somewhat close to 'Earth 2100'. Although it talks about the past and present than the distant future.

     The pollution was one of the biggest concerns today and nobody cares to curb it. The industrial revolution is not defining our progressive, but threatening to our future generation. Besides the poors are directly affected by the loss of the employment. The human development in on the right direction, but the path we have chosen was not. So by now you know it is not for just the kids. The film offers a lot for adults to learn from it than the children. But surely a film to them both watch together and have a good time.

     At one point, for a quick, a few real clips were shown to let us know what the real world looks like after such thing happened as it was shown in the film. I loved the comparison between the city and the rural, from lifestyle, fading culture to everything. The real heartbreaking scene is when the boy revisits his old place to learn it is destroyed. Surely we all have similar kind of experience in our life about the place we had admired some time ago is now completely ruined.

     It might have not won the Oscar or not popular as the one won, but definitely not ignorable film. All the other four nominees stood behind creativity and entertainment, but this one was with dual intention and it succeeded. It wins our heart more than any prestigious awards in the world, yet I agree the awards leads to the wider recognisation. So I urge everybody to watch it sooner or later, but never to miss it. It is not your Disney, Pixer or Ghibli films, but surely you would enjoy it. I don't know the director, but I think if he resumes with the same intensity for the future projects, he would definitely become the South American Tomm Moore with his unique animation and storytelling.



Suitable for:
Tween, Teen, Adult, All


Final verdict:
Ignore, Bad, Average, Good, Excellent


Similar movies:
Zarafa, The Day of the Crows, The Secret of Kells, Ernest & Celestine, A Turtle's Tale.


External link(s):
      

WCA geolocation:
Right now we're in

The Second Mother (2015) Brasil

A close look at generation and professional gap.

Original title:

Que Horas Ela Volta? (Portuguese)

Genre:

Drama.

Length:

Approximately 6-minute read.


Review:
     Have I really watched a South American movie! This is not a doubt over the culture or the language the movie was rendered, but the basic plot was universally appealing. Wherever from you are, this story will look very familiar, you know the master-servant theme with jealous, dominance and other differences between them which intrigued after some unexpected incident. Don't assume it is a revenge flick, but a closer look at the daily life of a servant.

     It is a beautiful drama filled with some occasional dark humours. Frankly, I did not expect it to be this good after I heard it failed to make into the Academy Awards. Yep, this was Brasil's submission for the 2016's Oscars. A story of a live-in housemaid called Val. She opted this life to be apart from her daughter Jessica only to provide a better life for her. But things change, once Jessica decides to come and stay with her mother to apply for a college in Sao Paulo. That brings a complete chaos in the household due to the generation and the professional gap.

     It was a casual opening, like Val was doing her daily routine. This was a very calm part, the story that introduced everything without complicating, especially keeping in mind the second half narration. The movie also digs every detail very closely, like how a maid behaves when her owner is not around, individual relationship with everyone in the house including the other maids and their personal desires.

 She looks at everything. Looks like the president. 
     Believe me, if you ever had one, probably you begin to think them now by remembering any strange incidents from the past like what might be the truth. It is not like accusing them for something, but you know, sometimes we forget we're the same other than a thin line between us called the social status. That's where this film hits you hard and makes you feel regret if you have ever done anything wrong without knowing.
     It was not like any other similar movies I have seen. There was only a small deviation, that's what it makes a special. Also, it was not completely a realistic boring drama if you're wondering about the pace. It was a steady tempo, but had the sufficient entertaining content, often makes us to guess the next scene and besides it had a tiny twist at the end. It was not a strong ending as one could have wanted, but it's the best one after the story took a turn in the final act.
     I don't know the cast or the crew, but the direction was top notch alongside the cast performances. Thankfully, it was not another sentimental drama with a struggling servant or the questionable relationship between a mother and her daughter. Very much within our perception like you know all this, but seeing it for the first time. The balance between everything was the best of it. Almost 80% of the movie were shot in a single location/house and a few outside clips as the story demanded.
     The Oscars might have rejected it, because there's only five slot and they found better five to fill the spot, but that should not be the reason you to skip this heartwarming movie from the country that hosting the next Olympic games. I feel this film is this year's 'Ida', unlike a nun's self-discovery before taking oath to the god, here a maid realises her mistakes and not being a good mother to her daughter which leads her to fix it by not repeating it. A movie that should be watched with the family, inviting housekeeper for the watch might help bond well. So definitely recommended, a highly recommended movie for the weekend gathering.


Suitable for: Tween, Teen, Adult, All

Final verdict: Ignore, Bad, Average, Good, Excellent

Similar movies: Hateship Loveship, Rebecca, Albert Nobbs, Driving Miss Daisy, The Help, A Simple Life.

External link(s):       

WCA geolocation: Right now we're in