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This sophisticated Portuguese film by Susana Nobre portrays grief with a deliberate lack of emotion. The movie maintains a consistent deadpan tone throughout and chooses not to provide a typical resolution or narrative structure that would lead to a dramatic climax. However, there is a subtle display of emotions in the film. While sadness is not expressed in unconventional ways (such as excessive drinking, which is a common symptom), it is portrayed in an indirect manner on screen.
Raquel Castro portrays Helena, a production supervisor for a movie set and faces challenges with the director. She is a divorced parent who shares custody of her teenage daughter and is romantically involved with a musician who is frequently on tour. Her aging mother, who resides in a Lisbon residence complex named Cidade Rabat, where Helena spent her childhood, has begun to discuss her impending death and desires for Helena to reside in the apartment once she passes, which brings forth overwhelming emotions.
Helena narrates the dry prologue of the film, which features a simple display of the front doors of all the flats in the building, along with her thoughts about the occupants. This introduction is both elusive and intriguing. Following her mother’s passing, Helena must accompany the coffin to her hometown of Garvão in the southern region. She boldly interrupts the funeral to declare that her mother was not a believer. In the months that follow, she embarrassingly gets drunk at a wedding and is later caught driving under the influence. As a result, she is sentenced to community service and ordered to work at a youth sports club. However, she is scolded by the club’s owner for neglecting to assist with the dishes.
The lesson of humility in this experience is not portrayed in the typical Hollywood fashion. Helena is not portrayed as arrogant or insensitive, despite her teenage daughter’s frustrations with her. Her life simply unfolds, occasionally leading to tears, yet the director does not overly emphasize these moments. The film showcases a subtle intelligence and empathy that lingers in the viewer’s mind even after the movie ends.
Source: theguardian.com
