Carnival is Over (EUA, 2024)
Original title: Os Enforcados
Director: Fernando Coimbra
Writer/Screenplay: Fernando Coimbra
Main cast: Irandhir Santos, Leandra Leal, Pepê Rapazote, Irene Ravache, Stepan Nercessian and Augusto Madeira
Runtime: 123 minutes (2°3’)
Every good Brazilian knows that the year only begins after Carnival is over. And, back to work in his home country after a long period working on his international career, Fernando Coimbra is returning to the Brazilianness that gave him notoriety with O Lobo Atrás da Porta (A Wolf at the Door, 2013).
Just like the director, the main character of the new film, Valerio (Irandhir Santos), is returning to Brazil with his wife Regina (Leandra Leal) after spending a few years living abroad. The reason for his return is the death of his father, a famous bookie, and his need to take his place in the family business. Then, in a series of events that mixes Hamlet and The Comedy of Errors, the couple gets involved in a fight much bigger than they would be able to fix.
Just like in his previous film, Coimbra likes to play with the limits and gray areas of human existence, without placing any of his characters specifically in the role of hero or villain. Everyone's main goal seems to be just to live their life, but unfortunately there is always a setback on the way to make existence more complex. With touches of something supernatural and even a play on Brazilian religious syncretism, we understand how those people who once seemed so normal are gradually taken over by the extreme situation.
The film uses the couple's house as its main location, which is undergoing endless renovations. In this location, the photography and art teams masterfully create an environment in which each frame tells a story in its own right. Even in the outdoor settings, visual elements are always used to help tell the story, from the carnival elements to the tarot card that gives the film its original title in Portuguese, The Hanged Men.
In its first half, the narrative struggles a bit to get going, either because it’s not yet clear what the tone of the film is or because of a slower pace, more focused on development that will allow the second half to be faster. In the scenes where tension really builds, Coimbra shows his ability as a director by leaving the audience on the edge of their seats waiting for the next move in the chess game on screen. Given the impact of this pacing, the first half seems even more clumsy in its tempo.
It’s interesting that the plot addresses several subjects in a way that initially seems superficial, but that takes on new meanings the more you think about them. From the racial slur that at first seems out of place to the growing chauvinism present in the story, you can see that everything is well-planned to create a narrative that also addresses the toxicity of masculinity in contemporary Brazil. From a specific moment in the work, in which Valerio begins to create an animated speech in the middle of the samba school, there seems to be a growing portrayal of the lives of these good citizens who are put on screen. And this unfortunately still speaks deeply with the life of the Brazilian people.
In a release that manages to mix drama, comedy and action, the film is an unexpected but timely experience. And with a very close release date in Brazil, November 21, 2024.
Translation by: Renata Torres
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