The Middle of the World

I've lived in Northeast Brazil, where this movie is set. Viewers get a realistic picture of small-town life, including devotion to Padre Cicero, a priest who died in 1934, in Juazeiro do Norte, Ceara. It shows the importance of the music of Roberto Carlos, the romantic singer who is Brazil's highest-selling recording artist, in the characters' lives. I've known people who have made similar journeys, and seen their devotion to their children and their struggle to preserve their dignity, just like the characters in this movie.

It's more low-key than ""Bye Bye Brasil," "Central Station," "O Auto da Compadecida," and "Eu, Tu, Eles" (Me, You, Them). It's most similar in tone to "Central Station."

Rarely does one have the opportunity to see such a unique, honest and beautiful movie, specially when it comes to dealing with such difficult issues such as poverty, a family's struggle to stick together and overcome all sorts of misadventures. This is a beautifully shot road movie on bicycles - based on a true story - that can be compared to The Bicycle Theif, and another Brazilian master piece by Nelson Pereira dos Santos: Vidas Secas (Barren Lives, is the English title) (based on a novel). Everyone should get to see this movie.

May be the summary say it all but the movie it's so great that I'm gonna give interested people more info about it. Is the first time in the latinamerican movie history when a director make a movie about being poor is not a terrible drama, it's just life, nothing more and nothing less. You can watch how is it the Latin American way to live the poverty: It's a daily drama that everybody lives each day of their life and that make's life less dramatic. In the movie you can found a typical family and the play of each character are the same in every place in the world without differences of social class. In the film you can make a road-trip from the north to the south of Brazil but without the typical beach and sun scenery. No, here it is another part of Brazil, that part where the real people live and tourism don't show. Incredible characters and fantastic places.

I loved this movie!

It is so refreshing to watch a non-pretentious film that illustrates the realities of poverty and the search for happiness without making you want to jump out of the nearest window!

Normally, Latin American directors tend to emphasize and exoticize poverty-stricken towns and characters by dwelling on the families' strife and hardship in order to extract superficial emotion from the spectator. Mr. Amorim, however, deftly maneuvers around these themes with a sincere and compassionate and humanistic eye.

"O Caminho das Nuvens" is a funny and modern road-movie that takes you where you want to go...places you may have been before, but may not have seen in such a fresh and authentic way. Muito bom.

Part "Road Movie" and part "Coming-of-Age" film, "O Caminho Das Nuvens" is an enjoyable little Brazilian flick that tells us the story of Ramao, his wife Rose, and their 5 children, as they make their way from "The Middle of the World" in Paraíba to Rio de Janeiro, on bikes, in search of work and a place to settle down.

Shot in Neorealist tradition- similar to film's like De Sica's "Bicycle Thief"- we are not shown the beginning of the family's journey, nor it's conclusion...but, rather, are offered a privileged glimpse into a "slice of (this poor family's) life".

The characters are real/regular people, and as such, could represent any one of the countless number of families' that have made similar journeys from rural Brazil to major urban centers like Rio and Sao Paolo, in search of new oppourtunities and a "better life".

From the start, we are privy to the fact that the family has no set destination, little direction, and even less money to survive on. It seems that Ramao has dragged his family on this epic excursion based on a whim, and a slightly psychopathic desire to find a job that pays "1000 reisas a month"- which he feels he will need in order to take care of his large family.

We follow Ramao and his family and observe the trials and tribulations that they must endure during the six month exodus they have embarked on...

To get by the family relies on the generosity of others...begging, panhandling, busking and doing odd jobs that will earn them enough cash to keep food in their bellies. Ramao acts quite callously toward his family, for a man that relies on them for money and survival. These feelings of inadequacy are likely a consequence of his inability to provide for his family.

Tension starts to develop between Ramao, his wife, and their eldest son Antonio, as Ramao repeatedly refuses job oppourtunities that do not meet his moral or monetary expectations. This is exacerbated when he decides to extend their journey, despite pleas from his tired and hungry family.

As Ramao comes to grips with the fact that his dreams and expectations are, in all likelihood, not going to be realized, the film begins to focus on the relationship with his teenage son Antonio.

At the beginning of the film, Ramao treats Antonio like he is an unwanted burden- constantly putting him down- though it seems the family wouldn't be as safe without him. We watch as Antonio becomes more independent; getting his coming-of-age experiences at various stops made by the family along the way. By the second half of the film it becomes clear that, despite their somewhat tenuous relationship, Ramao has been trying to get Antonio ready for life on his own.

As the family nears their next (final?) destination, the film goes out on an emotional note....though we never do find out what fate has in store for them. I guess this is a comment on, "life being about the journey, not the destination".

"The Middle of the World" is a simple, heartwarming film about a family on a journey. The locations and cinematography are beautiful and the acting is pretty good. It's also worth mentioning that the actor playing Ramao (Wagner Moura) looks a helluva lot like Johnny Depp!!! Definitely worth a watch, 6.5 out of 10.