The horror film “A Nun 2” is the main premiere of the weekend, which will also receive the Brazilian crime film “Angela” and the cartoon “A fada do Tonte”. The other launches take place in a limited circuit. Check out the trailers and more details below.
THE NUN 2
The horror is the follow-up to the 2018 hit, which became the highest-grossing title in the ‘Conjuring’ franchise with $365.5 million worldwide. The sequence returns to bring Taissa Farmiga as Sister Irene, again facing the demonic nun Valak (Bonnie Aarons). Set in 1966, a few years after the first feature film, the story begins with Sister Irene’s friend Maurice (Jonas Bloquet) possessed by Valak. After a terrible event in the French school where Maurice works, Irene becomes involved in the investigation, aided by a new character played by actress Storm Reid (“Euphoria”).
The direction is by Michael Chaves, who made his debut with “A Curse of La Llorona” and directed “Invocation of Evil 3: The Order of the Demon” (2021), the latest production of this horror universe.
The production remains entrusted to James Wan, director of the first two “Conjuring”, and Peter Safran, currently head of DC Studios together with James Gunn. The screenplay was written by Akela Cooper (“Evil”) and reviewed by Ian Goldberg and Richard Naing (both of “Fear the Walking Dead”).
ANGELA
The most anticipated crime film of the year stars Isis Valverde (“Simonal”) as Angela Diniz, a socialite victim of domestic violence, killed by her own husband. The crime committed by Raul “Doca” Street became a watershed in the Brazilian feminist movement and law. During the trial of the assassin, who in December 1976 shot his partner four times in the face, at the culmination of an argument in Praia dos Ossos, in Búzios, Rio de Janeiro, the defense claimed a “legitimate defense of honour” to attempt to clear him of the case. He claimed to have killed him “for love”.
The topic has generated controversy. Feminist militants organized a movement whose slogan – “those who love do not kill” – became the title of a Globo miniseries years later. Even the great poet Carlos Drummond de Andrade (1902-1987) said: “That girl continues to be murdered every day and in different ways”, referring to the defense strategy of blaming Angela Diniz for her murder.
The thesis of “legitimate defense of honor” was at the time included in the penal code, but despite this Doca Street was sentenced to 15 years in prison. In the following decade, the new Constitution, drawn up at the end of the dictatorship, put an end to this excuse for feminicide, but only now, in August 2023, did the STF (Federal Supreme Court) officially make it unconstitutional.
With a good reconstruction of the 70s, director Hugo Prata (“Elis”) shows the machismo of the time and the difficulty of Leila Diniz in getting rid of her abusive husband, fearing that she will be “unlikable” by society. The cast also includes Gabriel Braga Nunes (“Verdades Secretas”) as Doca Street, as well as Bianca Bin (“O Outro Lado do Paraíso”), Emílio Orciollo Netto (“O Mecanismo”), Chris Couto (“Não Foi Minha Guilt”), Gustavo Machado (“The Journey of Pedro”) and Carolina Manica (“Valley of the Forgotten”).
THE TOOTH FAIRY
The German-Luxembourgish animation follows Violetta, a cheeky fairy, who enters the human world clandestinely. By chance she meets a 12-year-old girl, Maxie, who feels lost in the city and whose greatest desire is to return to the countryside. The two strike a secret deal, but plans don’t go as planned.
The plot explores the themes of belonging and identity through the protagonists, portrayed as misfits in their respective worlds. The film also introduces a villain, Rick, who plans to demolish an urban greenhouse containing a tree crucial to Violet’s return to her world. The narrative incorporates contemporary elements by imagining the Tooth Fairy’s profession as a technological delivery operation.
First feature film directed by Caroline Origer (of the “Polo” series), the animation stands out for its visual elements, even if the lack of thematic complexity compared to similar works from the United States is evident.
OUR EXTRAORDINARY FRIEND
Marc Turtletaub’s comedy (“The Puzzle”) gives Ben Kingsley (“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”) a unique role as Milton, an elderly man whose life follows a humdrum routine. Regularly attending city council meetings and tending his garden, his life changes dramatically when a flying saucer crashes into his backyard. Initially distrusted by the locals, he welcomes the alien visitor, played by Jade Quon (“Raze: Fight or Flight”). Two women from the municipal milieu, played by Harriet Sansom Harris (“The Werewolf in the Night”) and Jane Curtin (“As Donas do Pedaço”), become involved in the plot when they notice the suspicious arrival of government agents in the city .
The narrative distinguishes itself from other films in the alien genre by focusing on elderly characters who find kinship with the “outsider” status of extraterrestrials. The film explores themes such as isolation in old age and the search for autonomy, adding complexity to the characters without resorting to caricatures. Throughout the story, the protagonists experience moments ranging from light humor to insights into aging and friendship.
It’s basically “ET – The Extra-Terrestrial” with a very different demographic.
WOLF AND DOG
Set on the island of São Miguel, in the Azores archipelago, the first film by Portuguese documentary maker Cláudia Varejão (“No Escuro do Cinema Descalço os Sapatos”) is a queer teen drama, starring an unprecedented cast, and awarded in the Jornada Authors section of last year’s Venice Film Festival.
The plot follows Ana (Ana Cabral), a young woman trying to break with the gender restrictions imposed by her traditional and religious community. Ana finds friendship and support in Luis (Ruben Pimenta), her openly gay friend, and Chloe (Cristiana Branquinho), a friend of hers from Canada. Ana’s older brother gets involved in illegal activities, adding another layer of complexity to the story.
Claudia Varejão, with a background in documentary, uses an approach that combines neorealism and experimentation, capturing the daily life of the characters with a camera that becomes increasingly experimental as the film progresses. Rui Xavier’s work as cinematographer is also notable, bringing the atmosphere and landscape of the place to the screen.
The work was well received for its positive and hopeful approach to the LGBTQ+ community in a context of isolation and religious conservatism. Without resorting to over-dramatization, it focuses on micro-aggressions and brief outbursts of hate speech, balancing storytelling with moments that celebrate resilience and the breaking down of social barriers.
NIOBE
The political action thriller, written and directed by Fernando Mamari (“Delirius Insurgentes”), is set in a fictional South American country, where Portuguese is spoken with a Carioca accent, and deals with a pivotal day in the life of the local powerful, including the president of the republic, played by Kadu Moliterno (“Topíssima”), and a high-ranking general, played by Roberto Pirillo (“Magnífica 70”). The central point of the plot is a meeting sponsored by an influential businessman, whose goal is to explore indigenous territory for mineral extraction. Over the course of the night, a group of luxury prostitutes, led by Rita (Bárbara França, ex-“Malhação”), begins to have an unforeseen influence on the outcome of the negotiations.
Also in the cast is André Ramiro (“L’Isola del Ferro”), along with Breno de Filippo (“Dom”) and lesser-known actors. The production of Pajé Cultura combines action, full of gunshots and violence, and critiques of the corruption of power while, unexpectedly, the fate of an entire country ends up in the hands of seven prostitutes who are not afraid to seize the opportunity.
Presented at Ventana Sur, it received the Chemistry Award for post-production services.
A little bit of me, a little bit of us
Director André Bushatsky (“The Story of Henry Sobel Man”) revisits World War II through the testimonies of Holocaust survivors who managed to escape the Nazi nightmare and rebuild their lives in Brazil. The documentary also seeks to clarify why history tends to repeat itself and what can be done to ensure that the same mistakes don’t happen again.
I SHOULD BE HAPPY
The documentary by Clauda Priscilla, director of the award-winning “Bixa Travesty” (2018), deals with postpartum depression starting from the reality of four women who have gone through it.
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
