Literature genius Machado de Assis first published short story "Monte Serrat" deals with a cheated husband (Nuno Leal Maia) who tracks down
his wife's lover Mr. X (Sérgio Bezerra), and he threats the man telling that he must leave town or he'll get shot. The other man tells him he got
the wrong man, doesn't know what's he talking about but it doesn't convince much the threatning man. To end things faster, Mr. X is convinced when
the other man pays a great sum of money for him to leave town immediately. Problem solved for both of them? Maybe...
It's a bittersweet story about the matters of chance and how life can be changed in an instant act and the forces of divine intervention or fate can
help one person and affect the other in drastic ways, and things are never what they appear. It's very faithful to the short story (but it's be
impossible to not be since it's a two-page story, simple and safe) with the difference that it was transported to recent times rather than the 19th
century. Nuno's performance was amazing, he dominates the character with such power and effect that you don't blink when he's on the screen,
plus his characterization as an old man, a colonel commanding type, left him unrecognizable. Enjoyable film. 6/10.
