Woof. What a deeply moving, tragic, beautiful, and devastating movie. I loved how personal the camera angles felt at the beginning of this film— like we were being invited into this family’s life and home, and how we progressed with each family member throughout the film in a uniquely individual way. The pacing, while yes, slow and steady, and at times hard to bear— felt so reflective of the patience, the ache, the longing for answers. Truly my stomach was in a knot for the majority of this film and then my heart fluttered with the memories, the warmth of exchanges between family members. The unspoken knowing. Fernanda Torres was a true hero (read: mother and so much more)— her resilience, rage, and courage to move forward despite the grief, or maybe in spite of it, moved me in a way few movies have. I think because so much of her heroism was so human. Bank accounts. Financial decisions. Moving to be close to family. Sending an impressionable teen away. Fixing a daughter’s doll while trying not to cry. Asking for a quilt to lay to rest the beloved family dog. Hugging your child. Staring into their eyes while they lie across from you in bed. Wishing to protect them from everything you know you cannot. I felt such deep empathy for her in so many moments because of her heroic humanity. Not to mention, the parallels of this film to modern day, and a dark history of Brazil I had not previously been aware of— this one was truly just such a holistically beautiful, captivating, and deeply touching film.
Woof. What a deeply moving, tragic, beautiful, and devastating movie. I loved how personal the camera angles felt at the beginning of this film— like we were being invited into this family’s life and home, and how we progressed with each family member throughout the film in a uniquely individual way. The pacing, while yes, slow and steady, and at times hard to bear— felt so reflective of the patience, the ache, the longing for answers. Truly my stomach was in a knot for the majority of this film and then my heart fluttered with the memories, the warmth of exchanges between family members. The unspoken knowing. Fernanda Torres was a true hero (read: mother and so much more)— her resilience, rage, and courage to move forward despite the grief, or maybe in spite of it, moved me in a way few movies have. I think because so much of her heroism was so human. Bank accounts. Financial decisions. Moving to be close to family. Sending an impressionable teen away. Fixing a daughter’s doll while trying not to cry. Asking for a quilt to lay to rest the beloved family dog. Hugging your child. Staring into their eyes while they lie across from you in bed. Wishing to protect them from everything you know you cannot. I felt such deep empathy for her in so many moments because of her heroic humanity. Not to mention, the parallels of this film to modern day, and a dark history of Brazil I had not previously been aware of— this one was truly just such a holistically beautiful, captivating, and deeply touching film.
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