Las buenas maneras

Given how weird this film is, I'm a bit surprised that there's no review about "Good Manners" yet. Horror titles usually get a good deal of attention but perhaps this is an indicator of just how unique this one is.

The story seems straightforward enough at first: Impoverished Lesbian black nurse Clara gets hired by affluent yet unemployed white pregnant Ana - this in spite of giving her landlady as her only reference, who promptly tells her she's being owed rent. However, Clara's touch calms down the kicking baby, so Ana instinctively hires her - and soon their relationship gets very close. However, Ana's behavior becomes increasingly erratic as her pregnancy advances, culminating in... well, among other things, singing. Yup, it's a musical, too.

I've seen a lot of genre movies and it's the rarest of the rare when one of the formulas is injected with something new. Horror often serves as social parables for the exclusion of the different, but here, you will find yourselves drowned in references and allusions, from queer bashing over solitary motherhood to race issues. There's so much to handle that it might be best to not try and process it all, and just abandon oneself to the beautiful weirdness of this film.

Of course, a limited budget limits the scare of the CGI, you got to be open-minded about that. The emotional turmoil makes more than up for this as Isabél Zuaa's performance carries the film from the first shot. The script should have been tighter as it takes enormous leaps and then slows down. I'd recommend watching this late at night, with close friends who are into weird stuff, and after a few joints or drinks.

Mubi's "our take" on this film reads: "Springing from an urban legend, this ferociously inventive Brazilian "creature feature" combines sharp social observation and lesbian desire with unsettling fantasy elements. Winner of the Special Jury Prize at Locarno, Good Manners is a visually exciting and boundary-pushing gem of genre cinema." Whoever wrote this probably didn't watch the film and merely skimmed the synopsis.

This is a captivating fantasy/drama/horror film, a French-Brazilian co-production, with a unique take on the werewolf mythos that blends the cinematic languages of both countries into its narrative and execution.

This film came onto my radar due to its inclusion in the BFI selection, and it has also competed in the Locarno International Film Festival, International Film Festival Rotterdam, and São Paulo International Film Festival, even winning an award at Locarno.

If you have the time and an interest in genre-bending cinema, you definitely shouldn't miss this one.

Very well done film that switches genres and perhaps leading characters as it advances. Isabél Zuaa, Marjorie Estiano and the boy Miguel Lobo have great performances. It is very surprising; therefore, the less I say, the best it is for you. Congrats for directors/writers Juliana Rojas and Marco Dultra. Social issues, LGBT, horror, fantasy, musical, Brazilian culture and folklore... there are many ingredients in this unusual film which worked quite wel despite the risks.

If they could try little bit harder, they would make a mini-series for Netflix. It's so long that make you feel you are watching 3 movies in a row. Yes, there are 3 main plots that each can be separately filmed as full feature. Or as i said, it could turn out to be a good mini series for VOD platforms.

These different tones in the movie makes it difficult to comprehend what movie is trying to tell which is also shallow and mainstream. 6 points goes for cinematography and courage to make such a film.

When watching the movie you can see what they are trying to do but the execution sucks.

And i'm not sure if having more money would solve anything cause the plot itself is shallow.

It's like the movie came from the mind of a 10 year old trying to impress adults.