Shown as part of a two-day Public Cinema series of recent Brazilian films, Ana Carolina's 1977 pic, "Sea of Roses", is a devastating black comedy, attacking any and all institutions, including the family. Focusing on the bizarre and explosive behavior of her talented microcosmic cast, Carolina delivers a "comedy to offend everyone"; what MGM's all-star "The Loved One" only promised.
Film begins in a road movie format, with Felicidade (Norma Benguel) and her horrid adolescent daughter (Cristina Pereira) fleeing after her mom slashes her husband brutally with a razor blade during an argument in their motel room. They soon team up with a friendly pursuer (Otavio Augusto) sent by the husband, who has seemingly survived the bloodletting.
Fast pace of the opening reels bogs down when the trio stop off in a small town and rest at the home of a dentist while Felicidade recuperates from nearly being hit by a bus. Ensemble gabfest which ensues contains many highs and lows, but is kept lively by broad playing and explosive humor.
Symbolic climax has trio fleeing on a train and the murderous daughter pushing her mother and Augusto off to ride on alone.
Norma Benguel as the mother gives an intense, riveting performance, all the more effective than just playing for laughs. Otavio Augusto, sort of a latin John Belushi, is an excellent, mainly deadpan foil for her.
Standing out in the well-chosen ensemble is young actress Christina Pereira as the "bad seed" daughter. Whether playing violent practical jokes or merely flaring her dangerous looking teeth, Pereira is an unforgettable young monster and an expert scene-stealer. Her transition to an adult career is problematical.
Count Ana Carolina as a helmer to watch, with a great facility for handling actors, while giving them plenty of room for invention. Tech credits are good.
My review was written in September 1980 after a Greenwich Village screening.
