smancini

Three of the best Brazilian actors of their generation help make this film an enjoyable way to spend two hours. Although Dóris (Irene Ravache) is well into her fifties or early sixties she is still an attractive woman, made more so by her constant good humor. Also a great cook, she decides to make some money and get company by providing meals to neighbors. Two of her most faithful clients are Freitas (Lima Duarte) and Otávio (Marco Caruso). Freitas is more outgoing and reckless, while Otávio plays a careful and shy gentleman, but both fall equally for Dóris and try their best to win her. The film discusses issues such as: what is the right balance between living in the past and running away from it; can friendship survive rivalry in love and can one regret earlier choices and still find happiness. It was good to see a Brazilian film not shot in Rio for a change. Belo Horizonte is a big town that still keeps a provincial feeling about it, and there are some beautiful scenes shot on its surrounding mountains.

Globo, the most powerful TV in Brazil, produces tolerably good soap operas, if one doesn't mind too much the far-fetched story lines. But when it comes to their attempts at making movies, the results are almost always disappointing, as the final product is usually neither here nor there - not a good lighthearted TV program and definitely not a great film. This film is no exception, and not even the all-star cast can do much with such a poor screenplay. Many of the characters seem like poor adaptations from successful TV programs, such as Pedro Cardoso who seems to have come directly from filming the TV series a Grande Família into this film, and Agildo Ribeiro, whose character is very similar to characters he's been playing forever on TV. I'm glad I didn't spend any money on this but watched it on TV instead.