È arrivata mia figlia!

In São Paulo, the housekeeper Val (Regina Casé) has been working for Carlos (Lourenço Mutarelli) and Bárbara (Karine Teles) in their elegant house at Morumbi since their teenager son Fabinho (Michel Joelsas) since he was a child. Her estranged teenager daughter Jéssica (Camila Márdila), who lives in Pernambuco, was raised by her father and another woman but financially supported by Val. When Jéssica calls her mother to tell that she will travel to São Paulo to do the entrance exam for one of the best universities in São Paulo, Val asks permission to her employers to bring Jéssica to her room. They agree and the teenager is welcomed by the family. But soon she becomes a problem to Val since she does not follow the usual submission of maids, breaking the class barriers in the house and bringing disturbance to the relationships.

"Que Horas Ela Volta?" is a low-budget Brazilian film with an original story of class conflict and generation gap. Regina Casé has an outstanding performance in the role of a woman incapable to raise her own daughter since she needs to work as nanny of the son of her employers. She seeks redemption in the end expecting to raise her grandson. The cast is magnificent and the feeling of guilty of Val is easy to be understood. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Que Horas Ela Volta?" ("At What Time Does She Come Back?")

This movie does a exceptional analysis of the modern Brazilian society, showing the difference of classes and how this is deal inside the family houses. The viewers of the movie start seeing themselves in the role of the employers of the housemaids and realize that actually they already did a lot of situations that they consider absurd. This start causing a discomfort on the the spectator and make them think in the model of society that they live. With a strong direction but still feel free for improvisation, this movie is one of the best Brazilian in years. Since Central Station we do not see a movie that is so well related to Brazilian reality of segregation and difference of classes. Perfect performances (not only of the main roles, but all characters in the movie), beautiful photography and really well done soundtrack this movie put again Brazil on the track of countries who can show their reality in their own way.

Regina Case gives a heartfelt performance as the maid to a rich and rather snobby family – and as the mother to her long lost daughter. It is after the daughter reunites with the mother after a long ten year absence (not clearly explained) that the wheels of this film really start to churn to generate tension, but also immense warmth.

Even though the film does meander now and then – every scene with Regina Case as surrogate mother to her adopted household, especially the son, and the real mother of her daughter gives off an energy of feeling and vitality. It is beautiful to behold the radiation that emanates in all her scenes. And its' nice to walk out of a film with the milk of human kindness – a rarity these days.

I believe this movie is an accurate depiction of a typical upper middle class or upper class Brazilian household. There is a clear and well defined divide between the haves and the have nots. Val the maid lives in a small room and comes from the impoverished North East of Brazil (just as former President Lula did!). I think the film maker wanted to paint a picture of stark contrasts, somewhat like a film version of Casa-Grande & Senzala by Gilberto Freyre (discussed the various classes and races in Brazil 1933). Although the mother was a pretty overbearing one percenter, I don't think she is unique and could be found anywhere! The father was pretty cool, absolutely nothing phoney about him, all up front. The movie presents the Vestibular University entrance exam system. The system does not distinguish applicants based on societal position. Also the best Universities are free, so we can all learn something from Brazil. Parabéns.

Organic film, the kind where everything fits and grows with the viewer so the lights come on, It is a work to be revered. Ana Muylaert builds a narrative that speaks of class relationship, the role of women in society as a mother, daughter, professional, also speaks of social segregation and changes in the Brasil in these two decades of democracy. It is a simple film, but not for everyone - does not have the appeal of globofilmes comedies, twists, striking scenes - it's all very subtle and sensitive.

Spent most of the time in an upper middle class mansion, the rooms it is also almost characters. From the kitchen to the guest room, the director gives meaning to the spaces, to the pool, to objects, to food. Veteran Regina Case plays Val, maid sleeping in the closet maid, knowing their place in the world, while the daughter, played by newcomer Camila Mardia, recently coming from the northeast to take entrance exams for architecture, it is a pioneering, a sentient , a citizen.

Award at the Berlin Film Festival and Sundance, What Time, surprisingly, is making blockbuster in European countries and pointed out by specialist as probable nominated for the Oscar. It's a cracker too, in my view, to reach the general public. I hope you get it. It is on my list of best films of the year and will be on the list of many influential critics around the world.