Film ReviewsThe Second Mother: Obrigado!
Oct 30, 2015 Anchorage Press
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Que Horas Ela Volta? is filmmaking at its best. The original Portuguese title translates to "What Time or When Will She Return" and is a far more appropriate and relevant title for the film than its English title, The Second Mother. The screenplay was written by Anna Muylaert and Regina Casé, the film's director and star, respectively. The Second Mother is an important film on many fronts including as a social reflection of the Brazilian class system, as a powerful and engaging work of art, and its place in contemporary cinema made by women.
The plot of The Second Mother is deceptively simple but the dynamics that unfurl are not. Director, Anna Muylaert, is an exceptional auteur with a well-rounded knowledge base and experience in the industry that includes film/TV, writing film critiques and journalism. All her talents converge to deliver a brilliant film that is solid to the core, with a sharp focus that balances the emotional nuances of every character with their interactions. The Second Mother tells the story of Val, played by Regina Casé whose 40 years of work places her among one of Brazil's TV and cinematic gems. Val is a live-in maid who has been with the family for over a decade. Not only is Val in charge of the cleaning, gardening, etc, she's also responsible for keeping the family and their lives on task. Val is a loving and good-humored woman who left her daughter in the care of family while she went to Sao Paulo to make a living and sent money to support her daughter. The unintended consequence is that Val and Jessica (her daughter, played by Camila Márdila) are practically strangers, and Val, while also being the nanny of the family has grown close to the son in the family, Fabinho (played by Michel Joelsas).When Jessica decides to come to Sao Paulo to test for the Architecture School and live with Val in the family house, the class layers start coming apart like a stinky onion.
The character dynamics in The Second Mother are fabulous. Every character has depth that corresponds to their personality and therefore is believable and compelling. Muylaert could have easily taken the plot in the direction of any character, but instead the focus of the film aligns along the intersection points of personalities, interests, and values. In this way Muylaert is able avoid superfluous drama or stereotypical story lines. These points of intersections are visually cued by camera positions used as leitmotifs, such as the recurring shot from the kitchen that provides an obstructed angle allowing viewers to see bits and pieces of plot and incomplete profiles and forcing the viewer to listen more acutely in order to grasp the dynamics.
One of the great accomplishments of The Second Mother is that it is able to hold up to the viewer the class inequity while retaining some levity through Val's loving disposition, the light settings and the music design. Even as she learns to question and assess her place in the class system, her sense of empowerment is not a "Fuck you!" type of revelation, instead it's subtle and in accordance to her nature. The class issues are revealed in the details, from how/when an espresso set is used, to who eats what ice cream, and who can and cannot use the pool. Muylaert uses these details to deliver the narrative of quiet class struggle that is about to shift.
Another struggle that The Second Mother brings to the forefront is that of women in cinema today. Article after article about women in film today indicate that women directors, actresses, videographers, etc., like their counterparts in all other areas, are underpaid, underfunded, and lack opportunities.The disparities can no longer be ignored, so much so, that even the Feds have gotten involved and are investigating the discriminatory Hollywood practices. Forums and discussions in social media are driving the conversation at a global level. This conversation, coupled with data analysis indicates that female-driven films make money so then why do women direct under five percent of studio films and about ten percent of independent films? Why do women represent a total of 30 percent of all speaking characters? Why are female characters were more likely (58 percent) to be identified in roles like wife or mother? The questions go on and on and while The Second Mother cannot provide answers directly, it does show what wonderful, and exceptional cinema can be made when women have the opportunity and the resources. It's no wonder Brazil has selected Que Horas Ela Volta? to represent it at the Oscars, and it shouldn't surprise anyone if it runs away with as many Oscars as it deserves.
The Second Mother shows at Bear Tooth on Monday, November 2 at 5:30 p.m
The plot of The Second Mother is deceptively simple but the dynamics that unfurl are not. Director, Anna Muylaert, is an exceptional auteur with a well-rounded knowledge base and experience in the industry that includes film/TV, writing film critiques and journalism. All her talents converge to deliver a brilliant film that is solid to the core, with a sharp focus that balances the emotional nuances of every character with their interactions. The Second Mother tells the story of Val, played by Regina Casé whose 40 years of work places her among one of Brazil's TV and cinematic gems. Val is a live-in maid who has been with the family for over a decade. Not only is Val in charge of the cleaning, gardening, etc, she's also responsible for keeping the family and their lives on task. Val is a loving and good-humored woman who left her daughter in the care of family while she went to Sao Paulo to make a living and sent money to support her daughter. The unintended consequence is that Val and Jessica (her daughter, played by Camila Márdila) are practically strangers, and Val, while also being the nanny of the family has grown close to the son in the family, Fabinho (played by Michel Joelsas).When Jessica decides to come to Sao Paulo to test for the Architecture School and live with Val in the family house, the class layers start coming apart like a stinky onion.
The character dynamics in The Second Mother are fabulous. Every character has depth that corresponds to their personality and therefore is believable and compelling. Muylaert could have easily taken the plot in the direction of any character, but instead the focus of the film aligns along the intersection points of personalities, interests, and values. In this way Muylaert is able avoid superfluous drama or stereotypical story lines. These points of intersections are visually cued by camera positions used as leitmotifs, such as the recurring shot from the kitchen that provides an obstructed angle allowing viewers to see bits and pieces of plot and incomplete profiles and forcing the viewer to listen more acutely in order to grasp the dynamics.
One of the great accomplishments of The Second Mother is that it is able to hold up to the viewer the class inequity while retaining some levity through Val's loving disposition, the light settings and the music design. Even as she learns to question and assess her place in the class system, her sense of empowerment is not a "Fuck you!" type of revelation, instead it's subtle and in accordance to her nature. The class issues are revealed in the details, from how/when an espresso set is used, to who eats what ice cream, and who can and cannot use the pool. Muylaert uses these details to deliver the narrative of quiet class struggle that is about to shift.
Another struggle that The Second Mother brings to the forefront is that of women in cinema today. Article after article about women in film today indicate that women directors, actresses, videographers, etc., like their counterparts in all other areas, are underpaid, underfunded, and lack opportunities.The disparities can no longer be ignored, so much so, that even the Feds have gotten involved and are investigating the discriminatory Hollywood practices. Forums and discussions in social media are driving the conversation at a global level. This conversation, coupled with data analysis indicates that female-driven films make money so then why do women direct under five percent of studio films and about ten percent of independent films? Why do women represent a total of 30 percent of all speaking characters? Why are female characters were more likely (58 percent) to be identified in roles like wife or mother? The questions go on and on and while The Second Mother cannot provide answers directly, it does show what wonderful, and exceptional cinema can be made when women have the opportunity and the resources. It's no wonder Brazil has selected Que Horas Ela Volta? to represent it at the Oscars, and it shouldn't surprise anyone if it runs away with as many Oscars as it deserves.
The Second Mother shows at Bear Tooth on Monday, November 2 at 5:30 p.m