O Despertar das Formigas

Life isn't always white or black, it's -and for the most part- just gray .. this movie tells the story of some gray days of the life of a housewife when her husband insist on having a third kid which she dosent want. I really enjoied this movie, it was a beatuiful surprise as CostaRica's neighbours really have set the bar very low (as i watched it as a part of my quest to watch a movie from every country in the world), it maybe lacked some pace in the 2nd act, but all in all it was a really beautiful movie. 7/10

Not a lot happens in this film from Costa Rica about famly life and yet the detail is superb. Although scripted, acted and designed it could be a documentary about a young wife and mother's dissatisfaction with her life. Isa, (a lovely, naturalistic performance from Daniela Valenciano), has an attentive, loving if demanding husband and two young girls. She works as a seamstress and they get by reasonably well but her husband wants another child and she's afraid that if she gets pregnant again it will rob her of whatever little freedom she has left.

"The Awakening of the Ants" is a feminist take on domesticity beautifully directed by Antonella Sudasassi with as much affection as pique. She condemns no-one; there are no villains in the picture, just ordinary people dealing with what life throws at them on a daily basis and I am sure there are millions of us who could identify with Isa and her husband. It's a small film that deals with 'small' issues but it's also very appealing with characters you actually care about; something you can't say about too many films these days.

In this movie director accomplished to express a strong idea or feeling with showing very few things. I could feel the silent screams of a woman surpressed under a seemingly happy family life. The flow was a bit slow and i forced myself to continue and it worth it. Altough the last scene was not one of those typical resolvement final scenes, it was quite emotional for me.

This is a low budget production that appears to have little in the way of a script. It's almost like a reality show that uses improvised dialog. It's clearly made for a targeted audience in mind, not to garner a wide audience. Failed to engage viewers.