Mater Dei

Despite the low quality of its production values and some of the weird acting from part of the cast (then couple Mário Frias and Nivea Stelmann, I'm looking at both of you. In fact, this is his only film experience), "Mater Dei" thorws a heavy dilemma to its audience and many will be thinking hard and deep about it, especially after its final outraging image.

The challenging dilemma of Antonio (Jaime Berenguer) is a matter of choosing to stay in Rio de Janeiro, where he lives with the only remaining part of his family, or to go back to Rondônia, far up in the north of Brazil to stay with his soon-to-bride (Karine Krause) and stick with a work that he loves. Why such a drastic decision must be made?

In Rio, his sick grandmother (Lícia Magno) is dying and longs for his presence, and when he gets there the lady seems to get better; plus there's the presence of his friends (Frias and Alexandre Moreno) trying to advise on what to do; and an ex-girlfriend (Stelmann) that still wants him, though he's moved on and doesn't want to get involved with her. So we have family matter, with a sick parent that he wants to spend his last days with versus work matters, with a job that pays well and the girl he loves back in Rondônia. Lots of pressures on his way and he needs to make a choice; problem is that he cannot save or help everyone.

I liked the film really put the main character in a tough spot, the kind of scenario that choosing and renouncing aren't simply all that simple, and you end up trying to solve everything in a good manner or find some ways that he could make a good choice. Berenguer had a fine performance despite the filmmakers didn't help him much with some lines, or the overall B-movie quality of it all. But his scenes with veteran Lícia Magno are simply tender and wonderful. You feel the bond between grandmother and grandson, and past traditions they shared from ages ago.

It's a good short, a little thought-provoking and that ending stays with you for a long time (you'll be the judge as to embrace it, accept it or reject it completely). The main distractions relate to some cheap acting, amateurish filmmaking style and a confusing use of flashbacks that removes from enjoyment and a right presentation of everything (it end answering too much if you connect the dots together). But I liked it. 6/10.