Single mother Darlene from rural Brazil marries Osias, a local pensioner. He neglects her emotionally and treats her like a servant. So she looks for other men for emotional and practical support ... Like many other films from developing countries, it is less polished and stylised than your typical Hollywood movie and is relatively slow moving. In fact, the only negative thing I have to say is that in the first half it really is too slow moving. The plot only takes off in the second half and it is only now that the characters start to develop greater depth and complexity and you wish, afterwards, that more time had been spent on this part of the film. Apart from that, it is beautifully shot and contains in Darlene's charismatic character a person that retains an enormous amount of genuine happiness even in the most adverse circumstances. It is also, despite the extreme poverty it depicts, warm, funny and has three brilliant actors in the main roles, with Lima Duarte (Osias) standing out in particular.
Review of Me You Them
