+ Best Brazilian Movie of the Year + Best Character Study of the Year + Best Political Movie of the Year
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| Fittingly, Sonia Braga is at the center of this poster for Kleber Mendonça Filho's Aquarius |
Aquarius is the second fiction feature from great Brazilian writer-director Kleber Mendonça Filho (Neighboring Sounds/O Som ao Redor (2012).
Clara is a cancer survivor, widow, mother and grandmother in her 60s, comfortably living in her beach-front apartment, which is in the building Aquarius, which a huge construction company want to tear down to allow for new construction.
Aquarius is solidly anchored in its location of Recife, Brazil, where Filho also is from, which it portrays with tenderness and insight. It establishes its pace, which some may call languid, but which is really quite daring, instantly. Daring because all those minutes of running time need material, meanings and focus. Best of course is that the film pulls it off. We do get much more insight and meanings, - poignant observations on the differences between Clara and her children's generations, on child care, death, sickness, sexuality, personal strength through opposition, - even a wry comment on the 'digital revolution' - much more than would have been possible at a tighter running time.
Aquarius is a film that hinges on a single performance more than anything else: That of Sonia Braga (Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands/Dona Flor e Seus Dois Maridos (1976)), who gets a well-deserved and terrific comeback here in her first Brazilian performance in 15 years as Clara, the stubborn, proud, dignified and incredibly beautiful protagonist. Much of the suspense of the film, - clearly a drama but one with a central conflict (that of the company's wanting to rid their building of obstinate Clara) that becomes very tense, - comes from our recognition of Clara's fragility in the situation, despite her personal character strengths. Satisfyingly, though, Filho does not push his plot into the criminal and violent problems of his country that we might expect, but instead leads us to an ending that is both surprising, shocking and thrillingly empowering. Braga is like a force of nature throughout but not least here.
Though the film has good supporting performances all-around, one deserves singling out: Humberto Carrão (Aurora (2016)) plays the young, slimy company chief who attempts to harass Clara out of her home with a naturalness that is positively off-putting, - doing a great job in other words.
Aquarius is a wholly realistic story with the kind of imperceptible, taut photography (by Pedro Sotero (I Swear I'll Leave This Town/Prometo um Dia Deixar Essa Cidade (2014)) and Fabricio Tadeu (Neighboring Sounds)) that is only commenting imperceptibly on the action, - except for the throwback use of zooms now and then.
Aquarius is rich on poignant details that are open for interpretation and implicit social and societal criticisms. It is a very worthwhile and unusual film not to miss.
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Watch a trailer for the film with Spanish subtitles here
Box office: In excess of 2.6 mil. $
= Even
[Aquarius premiered 17 May (Cannes) and runs 140 minutes. Braga rehearsed for 3 weeks prior to filming. Shooting took place in Recife, Brazil in seven weeks from August - September 2015. The team behind the film spurred controversy at Cannes with a red carpet protest against what they saw as the coup at home against president Dilma. Controversy continued through the film's life in Brazil, possibly leading to its not becoming the country's Oscar entry (much less seen Little Secret/Pequeno Segredo (2016) got that honor instead.) The film opened #56 in 3 theaters to a 29k $ first weekend in North America, its 3rd biggest market, where it peaked at #44 and grossed 285k $ (11 % of the total gross). The biggest markets were Brazil with 1.2 mil. $ (46.2 %) and France with 601k $ (23.1 %). The gross above does not include several smaller markets, whose gross are not made public. The film is set to release in Greece and Poland within the next two months. It has been nominated for a César (France's Oscar), an Independent Spirit Award, won the Sydney Film Festival Best Film award and more. Aquarius is certified fresh at 97 % with an 8.2 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]
What do you think of Aquarius ?
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