Vai~E~Vem

João César Monteiro, as always, in all is movies, showed a great disregard for conventions. Branca De Neve was a good example of that, Vai e Vem is also a good example of that.

Considered a madman by some and a fraud by others, is attempts to create movies that were at the same time groundbreaking and interesting were always misunderstood.

One of the greatest and most underrated Portuguese Directors of all time, no doubt about that.

Now one thing is, if you are not from Lisbon, or if you never visited Lisbon, you won't ever understand this movie. Because this lives out from the feeling that Lisboa is... I see this as an ode to the things that João Cesar Monteiro found dearest to him. Almost a farewell to life itself, and since this was Monteiro's last film, this is revealed to be true.

The last shot of the movie is the strangest thing I've seen ever in cinema. And you can take many conclusions out of it. Maybe he's trying to invert the papers, watching the spectators as they are watching him. Saying goodbye to the people that admired is work for decades.

Just like all the good things, you need to have a developed sense of inner-depth, to stomach this. Or else you're just going to quit after the first 2 minutes.

This is a unique film-maker, this is a unique film. If you don't appreciate you can always go watch, Scary Movie or some Meg Ryan movie. There's no problem with that.

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...)

Amazing movie. It flows in a peculiar way. There are, from the very start of the movie, shots of him going about his daily life and you have the opportunity to see glimpses of Lisbon through these commonplace trips. The movie is sprinkled with bits of humor here and there but what really makes the movie is the sheer atmosphere of it. Even more than in other movies of his, there is a very enthralling meditative aspect to it. It is more of an inner voyage that only Monteiro would have been able to depict. You will certainly love it. Just don't expect mainstream Hollywood nonsense; this is a different universe altogether.

Light, peaceful, wickedly erudite humour of a kind long since unheard of. A Portuguese film from a Portuguese film maker. A film about "everydayness" and availability to be aroused by others and by their words. An experience of declined immortality for the sake of life.

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.