Aquarius [DVD]

Kleber Mendonça Filho’s superb film is a densely observed, richly detailed character study of its imperious main character, Clara, a retired music critic and widow respectfully addressed by her many admirers as ‘Dona Clara’, commandingly played by Sônia Braga. She finds herself immersed in a delicate domestic situation, during which, as it unfolds, she discovers more about a society in which she is out of place, and more about herself and her relationship with the past and present.Clara is devoted to her flat in a small apartment building called Aquarius, which she inherited from her adored aunt Lucia, a dissident romantic intellectual and resistance veteran of Brazil’s military rule – and Clara clearly sees herself as Lucia’s heir apparent. On one level, the building is the outward expression of Clara – it is her personal kingdom (both literally as well as metaphorically, for she is the only resident left there) and her siege warfare against the developers (and to some extent her own family too) gives her, already scarred but battle-hardened by surviving breast-cancer, a late-flowering of stubborness and purpose.On another level, Aquarius is a clear metaphor for Brazil, and specifically the cronyism and corruption in its new political classes, and it is this that increasingly commands the attention of the viewer.Aquarius doesn’t end in the expected way, and is perhaps rather flawed in that it depends on a deus ex machina in the form of a certain incriminating legal document which is rather casually crowbarred into the action. Nevertheless this is a serious, compelling film that draws you into its powerful narrative.

Good film, arrived promptly

I watched Aquarius knowing it was highly rated but knowing nothing about its backstory. I found it way too earnest, I tired of its point making and I found the lead character disagreeable. The ridiculous final scene summed it up for me. It probably makes me a filmic philistine but I thought it worthy of an overly ambitious film school student.

Great film from Kleber Mendonça Filho... hope "Neighboring Sounds" also geats released.

Wonderful film about tenacity, morality and getting older.

So Brazilian my hear aches

Excellent movie

I liked that the film was in Portuguese and it triggered me to find out a bit more about the fourth biggest city in Brazil. The acting was believable. Although the film was long I remained engaged throughout and was intrigued by the story and characters . I thought that most of the actual story was suitable for younger teenagers but would not want to watch it with family members as there was brief very graphic nudity that I thought unnecessary. I am not prudish but think that by being so graphic the film is not suitable for everyone to watch . The ending was unexpected and the film seemed to finish too abruptly.