For those who enjoy a soap opera, Brazil is fertile ground, as the overwhelming majority of general TV channels in the country transmit, on average, four soap operas daily. Invariably, much of this material eventually goes around the world, being bought and broadcast in other countries. One of the most permeable markets for Brazilian teledramaturgy is, of course, my country, due to its cultural and linguistic proximity. I watched "Senhora do Destino" twice, the first when it debuted in Portugal, around 2006, and the second now, as it is being reprised nowadays.
It's a nice story that mixes two good elements: comedy and a good family drama. The story focuses on Maria do Carmo, a combative woman full of personality, who left the hard life in the backlands of the Brazilian Northeast to try her luck in the city of Rio de Janeiro, where she was already her husband. However, she came at a violent political moment, during the so-called "Lead Years", with the military dictatorship surrounding the press and making several arrests of journalists and leftist protesters. Caught in the midst of that, Maria do Carmo sees her youngest daughter stolen from her own arms, dedicating the rest of her life to the search for the lost daughter who, however, is created by Nazareth, a cruel and perilous villain. What made this soap opera work far beyond the cliché story was the sheer force of the female characters. Carmo was brilliantly played by Suzana Vieira, a strong and intense actress, while the villain was exceptionally played by Renata Sorrah. A real fight between two titanic figures full of strength. Lindalva, the stolen daughter, was very well played by Carolina Dieckmann, who perfectly matched beauty, charm and personality strength. But this soap opera is not made exclusively of girls. In the masculine roles I specially highlight José Mayer, who gave life to a dedicated and passionate journalist, Marcello Antony in the role of Viriato, Nelson Xavier in the role of Sebastião, a dedicated and faithful driver who maintained a platonic love for his last mistress and, of course, the late Jose Wilker, one of the best Brazilian comic actors, in one of the funniest roles of his career, the mobster Giovanni Improtta, who uses dirty money to finance a Rio de Janeiro carnival samba school. Truly phenomenal.
