A Wolf at the Door

Fernando Coimbra Brazilian filmmaker is relatively new to the industry. With three short films to his credit, he's now come up with a full-length film that is very dark and possibly very upsetting to some viewers, so think twice before you give it a try. But if you do, it will leave probably leave you on edge by the time it's complete since it's rather gritty and disturbing...and very realistic.

The film begins with a mother going to her daughter's daycare and learning that some lady had already picked up her daughter. The mother is panicked....she didn't send anyone to get the girl! Soon she's at the police station and the officer investigating isn't exactly professional in his methods. He thinks there's more to it-- like the family is holding something back. Sure enough, there is-- the father was having an affair and his mistress might have something to do with the disappearance.

What follows is a long flashback to the mistress's life and her affair with this horrible man. He's violent and nasty....and some of this might be very hard for viewers to watch. The actors did a great job doing some very difficult and extremely emotional and gut- wrenching scenes. I am NOT criticizing the film for being tough to watch at times...I actually think Coimbra did a great job in not showing too much or glorifying the violence in the movie. How all this plays into the disappearance of his daughter is just something you'll need to see for yourself. Be prepared to be shocked and be prepared for a movie that starts off very slow but which grabs you and pulls you emotionally into the story.

In addition to some violence and adult content, the film also has a reasonable amount of nudity. Like the violence, it isn't gratuitous...it's much more matter-of-fact. But I mention this because if you are looking for a good family movie or something to watch with your mother or Father O'Reilly, you might just want to try something else.

I study Communication Science and the body language, the way of speaking the slangs of the woman who make the call at the bar is very well represented, specifically from Zona Norte region in Rio de Janeiro, which is where the movie took place.

Unfortunately, another Brazilian movie that has left me disappointed (and I AM Brazilian).

It's a (possibly) crime movie, but the plotline is so simple that in the first third part of the film you already know what happened.

I watched it until the end hoping for a plot twist but it wasn't any. It was all very obvious.

Acting was ok but the story didn't give much for the actors to work with. Altogether it seems like something you've already seen many times elsewhere. Any cable TV crime show is more exciting.

Dialogs are poor and a lot of scenes were over extended. Some events are a little hard to believe.

If you don't watch it you won't be missing anything.

Like the beginning of a love affair this movie starts light on its toes and superficial lulling you into thinking you're just going to get a slice of life kind of Brazilian romantic comedy but looks can be deceiving. Soon enough surfaces start to crack and there's no mistake you're watching naked, raw egos in mortal combat of the highest order. Ordinary people can be spectacularly duplicitous and damaging to themselves and those in their orbit, throwing their emotionally eviscerating punches with operatic gusto. It's not over till the fat lady sings and by the time she does you're watching a horror movie ripped from real life headlines.

Now, Fernando Coimbra knows how to make a film. This may be his very first feature length movie but it's shot, edited and acted to perfection. The plots does have some minor difficulties, but as a rule this tale of raw emotions and revenge works as if told by a veteran of the trade. The three leads are very good, especially so is Leandra Leal as Rosa, handling her role like one of the very best. The story might not be an original, but very few real original stories are still available for the picking. Hollywood has given up on originality long ago. If there's any originality to be found it's in the way stories are being told. Well Coimbra passes this test with flying colors. And considering the story he's telling he also does it without any excess, not using any gratuitous violence or any unwarranted emotional manipulation. All that while still maintaining suspense and characters development. It's a very good bottom line for any film, all the more when it's a feature length first. Fernando Coimbra is definitely a director to follow.