Senhora do Destino

For those who enjoy a soap opera, Brazil is fertile ground, as the overwhelming majority of general TV channels in the country transmit, on average, four soap operas daily. Invariably, much of this material eventually goes around the world, being bought and broadcast in other countries. One of the most permeable markets for Brazilian teledramaturgy is, of course, my country, due to its cultural and linguistic proximity. I watched "Senhora do Destino" twice, the first when it debuted in Portugal, around 2006, and the second now, as it is being reprised nowadays.

It's a nice story that mixes two good elements: comedy and a good family drama. The story focuses on Maria do Carmo, a combative woman full of personality, who left the hard life in the backlands of the Brazilian Northeast to try her luck in the city of Rio de Janeiro, where she was already her husband. However, she came at a violent political moment, during the so-called "Lead Years", with the military dictatorship surrounding the press and making several arrests of journalists and leftist protesters. Caught in the midst of that, Maria do Carmo sees her youngest daughter stolen from her own arms, dedicating the rest of her life to the search for the lost daughter who, however, is created by Nazareth, a cruel and perilous villain. What made this soap opera work far beyond the cliché story was the sheer force of the female characters. Carmo was brilliantly played by Suzana Vieira, a strong and intense actress, while the villain was exceptionally played by Renata Sorrah. A real fight between two titanic figures full of strength. Lindalva, the stolen daughter, was very well played by Carolina Dieckmann, who perfectly matched beauty, charm and personality strength. But this soap opera is not made exclusively of girls. In the masculine roles I specially highlight José Mayer, who gave life to a dedicated and passionate journalist, Marcello Antony in the role of Viriato, Nelson Xavier in the role of Sebastião, a dedicated and faithful driver who maintained a platonic love for his last mistress and, of course, the late Jose Wilker, one of the best Brazilian comic actors, in one of the funniest roles of his career, the mobster Giovanni Improtta, who uses dirty money to finance a Rio de Janeiro carnival samba school. Truly phenomenal.

Senhora do Destino is turning out to be one of the most successful soap operas of the decade. The ratings are stunning considering how slow the plot seems to develop sometimes. However, it captivates the audience with it's moving story and characters.

The first phase, which told the viewers some of the harsh time Brazil was going through during the late 60's was a masterpiece. Now in the second phase (which is the one we are now) we get to know where the main character stands after so many years of looking for her kidnapped daughter. Her 4 boys are now all grown men with different personalities and we find out that her daughter (Lindalva) is now called Isabel and is not only is living in the same city as her birth mother, but is having a happy life with her "mother" (the villain of the show, played brilliantly by Renata Sorrah) and "sister".

We also get to meet so many interesting characters like Giovanni Improtta - which, in my opinion, is one of the best characters ever created by a Brazilian author - and his hilarious family which merges romantically and dramatically with Sebastião's (Do Carmo's conservative brother) family. His oldest son, João Manoel is dating Sebastião's youngest daughter, Regininha and his only daughter, Jenifer, which daddy's been so proud of is about to fall in love with Sebastião's oldest and equally perfect daughter, Eleonora, who is already in love with her. The dynamic is amazing to watch.

Some of the story lines are boring and incredibly slow and that is definitely a turn down. What's interesting though is that the time line now is fictional; we don't know how many years have passed since the incident in 68 so we have mixed realities of the 90's and our current time mixed in one.

Senhora do Destino is a moving story of family and ethics. Susana Vieria is excellent as Maria do Carmo. The story is innovative in presenting flashbacks and linking the past and present. This is ultimately a story of love and family. The characters are so well written. I found the acting to be superb and was moved to tears often. The premise of losing a child is so sad but there is wonderful humor and irony often by the villain. Maria do Carmo is such a strong woman, who has strong beliefs, independence and passion. I found this plot to be excellent like Da Cor do Pecado. I think the best soaps definitely are developed in Brazil. If you have the opportunity to see this story it is a wonderful investment in time. I found that I missed the characters and felt the loss once the story was over. That is good writing and acting. Enjoy this ride because you won't be disappointed.