Directed by Anna Muylaert | Brazil | Portuguese w/English subtitles | 2015 | Fiction | 105 mins
Sponsor: Barbara McGrew
Film Source: Oscilloscope
Brazil’s official submission to this year’s Oscars is an acutely well-observed and engaging comedy-drama about the unspoken class barriers that exist within a household, especially once they come crashing down after the live-in housekeeper’s daughter suddenly appears. The cast is uniformly terrific, particularly Regina Case, a celebrated Brazilian actor and television personality. Muylaert has an understated assurance that quietly pulls you in, producing what feels like a story-driven narrative while exploring many complex ideas just beneath the surface.