Vai~E~Vem

More than the fact that this is a filmed testament from the dying director, this movie is a lesson of life. Life and cinema showed by someone who knew both very well. It's not a lesson of moral, things are sometimes weird, so this is a complete, pertinent, not hiding anything, and leading us to all kind of enjoyment. Pleasure and contemplation are always showed with a kind of nostalgia. Also, some plans are really interesting to watch and shows a way of filming, and of seeing life very difficult to show (except in painting). Playing with different factors, (rhythm, time, some objects) it's showing this Beyond all objectivity, or with an objectivity beyond objects... Monteiro is playing with our senses...

I agree it can be difficult to watch, because it's long, slow, without a lot of cuts, neither a lot of movements, everything is done with long plans. But all that is the rhythm of an old guy watching life, and having his last pleasures, and taking time to have it. It's an ode to life in all its ways. I've never written any comments on this sites (only on message boards) but I had to write something about this one. This movie is really special and intense, (and in a soft way, what is strange...).

Until the last plan which put the character, the director, and us to eternity... (I won't say more about this plan, but it has to be seen...)

This is a very interesting film, but I'm afraid only a Portuguese person from Lisbon can fully understand it's unique feeling.

João Cesar Monteiro died, and this film are his final words.

"Vai e Vem" is art of a man who knows he's near his end. João Vuvu is João César Monteiro dying, like he's capable of touching death. There's nothing similar to this state. Everything comes and goes back again.

In this film, JCM humor is different. There's an even bigger amount of sadness in it.

Wonderfuly heavy.

However, it's hard to watch and probably boring if you're not in the mood, or if you're not able to understand it.

Great were my expectations when I went to watch this film, because the Portuguese film critics were writing wonderful things about it. And how disappointed did I get! Sixty six shots in three hours and and nothing new. The film is nothing but an old man's fantasizing with young servants.

Monteiro has always had a very special approach to filmmaking, and he has his place in Portuguese film history, but that doesn't make this movie any better. What a pity.

This movie is a complete waste of time. The whole thing consists of endless static shots of the writer/director/star, Monteiro, spouting witty sounding or profound sounding gibberish.

Every now and then Monteiro minces around, quasi-adorably, like a wizened little Portuguese Nosferatu.

To sustain audience interest and to presumably show what exquisite taste he has, Monteiro places a young nubile Latina hottie in the shot, and allows her to listen in rapt attention while he spouts off endlessly. All I can say is, I certainly hope she was paid well for what must surely have been the sheerest torture.

The only redeeming qualities to this film were a couple nice musical numbers on the soundtrack and the beautiful outside location shots of Lisbon.

I've seen one other of Monteiro's movies, "God's Comedy", and that had similar problems, but not as bad as "Vai E Vem".

Much is made of the fact that this was Monteiro's last film before he died in 2003. It seems pretty clear from the hugely self absorbed and self indulgent character of this film that it constitutes more of a curse than a blessing on the world he was leaving behind.

I saw this movie one year and half ago... When I saw, i give 1 star, and now, after all this time, I gave another's 4 stars.. Its a movie like the book Little Prince, you have to grow to understand, and get the knowledge to realize what its the main problem there, and after that, you will see the pain behind the movie... Its a movie to see every 3 years, and every time you will change your perspective about this magnificent piece of art. Its a slow movie, but once you get the reason and love from the characters, the slow begin to feel faster that you want your life to be. It was the mirror of many old people that feel left from their family, and after all they give for us, we felt them. I love the movie, and most the message.