Olhos Azuis

"There are worse things than death, living too long." A wonderful film, and one that is rarely portrayed, such as the humiliation that Latinos, Arabs, and Afro-descendants go through in American immigration (thank God I didn't have that misfortune), a multilingual, lovely, realistic, sincere, dramatic and tragic film... Irandhir Santos, Cristina Lago and David Rasche are very good and José Joffily does an excellent job directing... A topic that is so in vogue, especially after the changes in legislation made by Trump now in 2025.

On his last day of work before mandatory retirement, Marshall, an American immigration officer, arbitrarily detains Latino passengers inside a room at a New York airport. There, he conducts interrogations that expose them to various humiliations, which take a tragic turn. The main target is Nonato, a Brazilian living in the USA. Two years after this episode, the former officer crosses the backlands of the state of Pernambuco, hoping to find peace of mind. However, he realizes that disappointment and helplessness are the only feelings that accompany him.

I've watched with vivid interest this movie, which I stumbled upon by pure chance. Three things caught my eye and attention: it talked about a theme which is usually left aside by commercial film makers, and second, because it involved people from Brazil, country where I live. I have been to the US as a visitor and I noticed some hidden or open hostility against foreigners, especially Latins. It's certainly no coincidence that kind of treatment, taking into account that we, Latins, are the last group in social and economic terms in American society. That perception is well shown in the movie. The 'integrated' Latin is the one who was born in the US, all the others are seen as intruders, most usually. That's also shown in the movie, which also depicts well the personal character of authority: people in charge of public jobs may often allow personal beliefs and perceptions interfere in their action. The third thing I noticed immediately is that the acting was very convincing and well-performed, although in some moments the script and its situations are difficult to be put on stage. It's, in my view, a good movie, which talks about an important and relevant situation.

On the last working day before the compulsory retirement, the bigoted and bitter US Chief of Costumers and Boarder Protection Marshall (David Rasche) confines a group of Latin American immigrants in the airport. While Officers Bob Estevez (Frank Grillo) and Sandra (Erica Gimpel) interview the immigrants to investigate their real intentions, the alcoholic Marshall humiliates them with his prejudice.

When the Brazilian Nonato (Irandhir Santos), who has been living in North America for ten years and is the owner of a small catering for workers, presents his legal documents that prove that he is returning to America after visiting his daughter in Brazil, the abusive Marshall does not accept his documentation and degrades him and his private life with humiliations. Nonato argues with Marshall and has a nervous breakdown that leads the situation to a tragedy.

Marshall is imprisoned and when he is released years later terminal with a tumor in the kidney, he travels to the Northeastern of Brazil to seek out Nonato's daughter Luiza. In Recife, he meets the young prostitute Bia (Cristina Lago) that agrees to guide him to Petrolina, where the Luiza lives, in a quest for redemption.

"Olhos Azuis" is one of the best Brazilian films that I have recently seen, with a story about immigration, dreams, bigotry, racism, hatred, mistrust, regret and quest for redemption. Director José Joffily tells in the Making Of that this story was partially based on true events based on situations that travelers and immigrants have faced in the US Immigration.

The non-linear screenplay keeps the viewer's attention until the very last scene. The performances are top-notch with America, Brazilian and Argentinean cast. The bitter dialogs are magnificent, and this film is a good sample for those that still believe that living abroad is easy. In the end, the blue eyes of Marshall and Luiza show that we are all equals no matter where we are born. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Olhos Azuis" ("Blue Eyes")

I was involved in this trama from beginning to the end... almost didn't blinked! Great story amazing cast. Congratulations to all involved!

Eu fikei envolvida na trama do início ao fim... quase sem piscar! Um super roteiro e um super elenco. Parabéns à tds os envolvidos!

A person with some experience in watching movies (any sort of movies)

can grasp the whole plot in the first ten minutes.

The screenplay is painfully schematic. There is the blue-eyed badly resolved character of an immigration officer, the refined but dishonest Argentine couple, the (of course !) patriotic Cuban girl, the silly uneducated group of generic Latin-Americans, the poor Brazilian prostitute, etc...

Characters are just silly, sociology awfully simplified. The message seems, unfortunately, as moralistic as one can find in one of those fairytale books people read for three year old children: everybody is equal, but Americans are bad equals, in particular, rednecks. Ridiculous, to say the least.

Just the same old (and bad) Soviet realism that curses Brazilian arts. I guess it can possibly have some sort of impact on a 13 year old reader of Las Venas Abiertas De La America Latina, but if you are (mentally) older than that it is just not worth your time.