Aquarius

Brazilian film critic turned filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho's second feature AQUARIUM, after his well-acclaimed debut NEIGHBORING SOUNDS (2012), has already received Cannes main competition treatment, which could be boosted by the consequential involvement of one of Brazilian cinema's living legends, Sonia Braga, who dauntlessly takes its central role of Clara, a retired music critic and refuses to move out of the film's titular building in Recife even if she is the only resident remains.

The film's vintage prologue takes us back to 1980, we are first introduced to a young Clara (Coleen), celebrates both her victory over cancer (later a briefing scene will inform us it is breast cancer) and her aunt's (a sprightly silver-haired Perez) 70th birthday, who reminisces of her wild youth (a carnal liberation in particular) when she clocks to an inconspicuous cabinet, which will become a mnemonic to trigger Clara down to her own memory lane 35 years later.

In the present time, Clara has outlived her husband for 17 years (life has its unpredictable quirks, who could image a seemingly healthier husband would be gone so soon) and now lives alone, she takes the leisurely pace to continue her daily life, as an independent, mature and loving woman: schmoozing with the lifeguard (Santos) on the beach where she routinely swims; enjoying a dancing night with her girlfriends and having no qualms to engage in a spur-of-the-moment making-out with a widower, who politely recedes to decency when he is aware of her physical condition (how shallow a man could be?). And obviously she has become much closer to her nephew Tomas (Queiroz) than her three adult offspring (a married son, a divorced daughter and a gay son), especially her relationship with her daughter Ana Paula (Jinkings) is strained, because of the status quo: the Aquarius building, erected in the 40s, is acquired by a construction company for a complete reconstruction except for Clara's apartment, and Ana Paula doesn't understand the reason why Clare won't sell it.

So what is the reason? Clare cannot be bought off by money because as she claims that she has 5 apartments under her name, therefore she has no financial exigency to exchange her favorite property into cash, which marks her a different case from the usual hungry-for-pecuniary-gain mass. Aquarius adumbrates her fondness, nostalgia and affections of her long winded past, all the happenings (like the B-day party in the prologue) comprising her entire life, in her sense, they live and die with the building itself. There is no denying it is a somewhat selfish reason to sabotage a project might be beneficial to assuage the local housing problem. But Mendonça Filho is trenchant and adamant to exercise the disproof, a final startling revelation will jolt Clara into the self- righteous action of hauling the evidence right in front of these corporate crooks. This is a tub- thumping censure to a society festered with sleaze and corruption, and utterly relatable in most corners of our world.

What hits the unusual mark of extraordinary is the filmmakers' impeccable tact and devotion of playing out an unbiased portrait of a woman of certain age who, more often than not isn't even be considered to assume the cynosure of a movie, and Mendonça Filho welcomes her with the full treatment including the often dismissed libidinous department, when you find out there is a raucous orgy organized in the empty apartment above yours, what is the best rebuttal other than calling an escort to quench that aroused thirst?

It goes without saying Ms. Braga's towering performance is of tectonic import to the success of the film, so much composedly immersed herself in the character, she takes Clara's prosaic daily life in stride, and not for one second, slackens her dignified defiance or renders it patronizing or haughty (which would very likely occur in lesser hands), she holds court whether there is a tacit awkwardness in her bungled sex-in-the-car diversion, or a whiff of disappointment toward her self- serving daughter, not to mention when she lets rip with a tirade in front of Diego (a smugly educated Carrão, admirably fending off Braga's all-out verbal offensive), the young representative of the company, that sequence alone can give 2016 Best Actress hopefuls a run for their money!

AQUARIUS is ultimately a rapier-like social critique welded with an endearingly patient character study, manufactured with deliberation, consideration and integrity, a transcendent sophomore piece presages an auteur in the making. On a less rigorous note, it is a cautionary tale exhorting us not to mess with a refusenik who has a hammock in her apartment, which means that she has both strength and means to stick it to the end.

It is sad that a powerful movie like this is contaminated by political ideology from both sides. Although I don't necessarily agree with any of the positions brought forth by the makers of this movie, this is still a fantastic piece of art, a fantastic story about the struggles of a middle-aged woman against not only a very real real estate speculation movement in Brazil, but also against her past, the upper-middle class blame, the old age labels, her family, all directed by probably the greatest living director of Brazil today.

From IMDb synopsis, Clara, a 65-year-old upper-middle class mother of 3 children, refuses to sell her apartment, the last still occupied, to a big real estate company, built in the upper class, seaside Boa Viagem Avenue, Recife. Pledging to only leave her place upon her death, her building is probably the last remnant of a not so long ago past. Facing this conflict ahead mostly by herself, she will reflect upon her past and future and give her new strength.

Although the story can seem to be a bit clichéd, the movie excels in representing a middle-aged woman in an unique and independent way, something rarely seen in movies, where usually these characters are simply secondary, caricatures. There will be no big reveals and big turns, it is a mostly linear story (quite different from Kleber Mendonça Filho last movie, "O Som ao Redor", also critically acclaimed). But the way the director tells the story is what is so great. With a technique so sharp, he creates tension throughout the whole movie in ordinary situations (his trademark, an influence from John Carpenter), like in the scene where Clara and the real estate manager are simply maneuvering cars in the building's garage. This tension is what carries the whole movie, until the powerful ending.

In addition, the greater part of the movie has no actual direct connection to the its apparent central plot. Clara attending parties, talking to the lifesaver, walking with her nephew, having family meeting is what fleshes out her character, telling so much about her personality and her past indirectly, and this is the film's greatest strength. The moment she has with her 3 kids is maybe one of the greatest scenes in Brazilian cinema.

Forget all the political ideology. Watch it for what this movie really is, a powerful, fantastic piece of art.

Aquarius wouldn't have made its way into my watchlist if it wasn't for Letterboxd. One amongst the highest-rated films on the site for the previous year, it's disappointing that it didn't leave much of an impression on me and even though Sônia Braga delivers a fantastic performance, this Brazilian- French drama as a whole is more or less underwhelming.

Aquarius tells the story of a retired music critic who is the last resident of the titular building that happens to have a rich history. The plot follows her life & a chain of events that are set in motion when she refuses to sell her apartment to the construction company which already owns the rest of the old building and intends to replace it with a new one.

Written & directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, the film opens with a brief prologue that serves no purpose to the plot whatsoever and then narrates its tale in three sections. Plodding for the most part and indulging in moments that play a role in providing a deeper insight into the protagonist's arc, the film makes for a wonderful character study but it could've been so much more.

The sequences that capture the clash between the veteran resident & the company that owns the peripheral surrounding are fascinating but whenever it delves into her own life, it becomes a bit dull. I'm sure there are plenty of political & social undertones beneath its surface but to an outsider like me, it felt trivial to the main plot, and the only aspect that made me sit through it was Sônia Braga's input.

A slow-moving, often-frustrating & mostly unappealing cinema that stays on one level throughout its overlong runtime and manages to get interesting only during the final chapter, Aquarius is finely crafted & nicely shot and paints quite a portrait of the leading character but it isn't what I thought it would be. Maybe I dived into it with wrong expectations or maybe it actually is bland, either way, I'm not its intended audience.

Aquarius is an interesting film, which has a good photography and a beautiful soundtrack, besides a compelling performance of the cast. Sonia Braga is great, playing a mature woman who stands for her rights and opinions. The story is shot in Recife and slowly presents the almost silent tug of war between Clara (Sonia) and the construction company. They want Clara sells them her apartment - the last one to be sold in the whole building - for the construction of a new property. The development of the characters is good, Kleber Mendonça Filho finds the correct pace for telling us Clara's story, so we can see why is so important to her to stay living in that place. In the other side, we have enough clues of how bad the other people fight against Clara, because there's real money and other interests involved. Although I think it worths watching, I recognize it is not a film for everyone; maybe some details only can be truly understood for people who has spent some time living in Brazil. I refer to the almost invisible social war between wealthy and poor people, represented in many subtle dialogues, gestures, and eye contact among characters. That's why I don't give 10, as a warning for non-Brazilian spectators.

First of all I'd like to apologize myself due any English mistakes.

I didn't understand those bad reviews that I just read here. In fact the movie is simple, with a simple a story but very emotional. Here in Brazil we face racism and a social fight which is pointed out in the movie.

The actors are good and Sônia Braga spectacular. I could see this movie more ten times and I am sure that I would always have something to learn.

I'm giving you this review without political issues, I am just a cinema lover. Do not miss the opportunity to see how prejudice and racism are frequent around the world. Also you're gonna experiment a time travel throughout the memories!