The documentary "Guarnieri" is a mix of sensations combined into one project. It's both mysterious and revealing, affirmative and positive with
some downer sides while presenting the life and legacy of veteran actor, activist and playwright Gianfrancesco Guarnieri. Some years after his death, his
godson made this film with the particpation of his father and his uncle, actors Paulo and Flávio Guarnieri (sons of Gianfrancesco) to share stories about
the man, detailing facts about his life and work and the importance he left on both accounts. It doesn't reveal everything we want to know and I don't it is
the film's ambition (otherwise it'd be a longer project) but it certainly reveals sides of his life that we as audiences would never imagine as happening if
it wasn't for a film like this to present.
When I watched the film trailer around a year ago, I imagined this to be a darker and sad spilling of personal facts against the man made by his
family since the majority of excerpts presented revolved around Gianfrancesco not being a present father and grandfather, focusing a great deal of his
attention to his career. We get that from the movie, he was truly devoted to his craft, to his political activism for social causes and rights of workers -
as greatly evidenced in his brilliant stage play and later 1981 movie "Eles Não Usam Black-Tie". But watching the movie we get a different glimpse of his
where his letters to his sons are presented, he's very tender and all, sending birthday presents to the boys even though he was very busy either acting on a
play or filming a TV series.
The movie is comprised of several family archive videos, TV programs, clips from films, theatre performances, TV shows and interviews with Gianfrancesco, all very revealing about the inner side of the
veteran actor. My favorite bit is when he's interviewed by a reporter and he's seated on a theatre, all alone and he's asked about who is he to which he
replies as being a diffiult question for which he doesn't know how to properly answer. I guess most of us are enigmatic and complicated to a point where we can
describe ourselves in totality since there's always something missing. Either because we could be describing a version of ourselves as we see it, or it may be
the version other people make of ourselves and neither one can be completely accurate, complete or definitive. I see him as a great figure, important, a true
fighter in life who has fought for the good cause of Brazilian people, a family man with imperfections like many of us are, deeply talented both as an actor
and as a writer, socially and politically engaged, a man of a rare brand these days. However, he may not agree with my vision so it's all relative.
I liked the fact that his sons made several tributes to the man, re-enacting or making new versions of his plays, with new performances and they
are asked about the man's legacy, the difficulties in following the father footstepts since both launched their careers as young actors and the comparisons
were staggering (they pursued acting for a time but they haven't got long careers as their father had). They have good insights and all, but I'd like to see
interviews with other people, Guarnieri's friends, fans, colleagues to offer a wider view of the man's life and work rather than just a family business. But
for what it tried to accomplish and for what it presented, I abolsutely liked this movie and can certainly suggest it as a nice view for viewers to understand
the creator behind his creations, which includes composition of songs with several composers and some of his songs are performed in the movie. 8/10.
