A Coleção Invisível

Superb acting, incredible screenplay, wonderful movie journey. This films deserves more visibility. It shows Brazil as it really is. I saw it at a film festival in Nashville where it won a couple of awards. I learned after that it won more awards. Well deserved. Although it should, it will probably never be released on the commercial circuit. What a shame. It is based on a short story by Austrian Jewish writer Stephan Zweig, who emigrated go Brazil in the 1930ies and committed suicide. The film is both a quite liberal adaptation of the story and a very faithful one in the sense that it captures the essence of it, without being caught in its details. The main character, Beto, is played by Vladimir Brichta with nuance and intelligence. The way he handles the changes in the character is very subtle. The old collector, played by Walmor Chagas, shows charisma, humor and emotion. In fact, all the actors are amazing. The cinematography is beautiful and the soundtrack impeccable, always organic.

A shocking beginning and a dramatic development, a beautiful, harsh and raw photograph of the city of Itajuípe, where cocoa was the main source of income for the local population for many years until it was almost decimated by the witch's broom... A beautiful film, which goes from comedy to senile drama, which makes your soul ache, pities you and revolts you, with inequality, simplicity, and the local residents stealing the scenes, delightful, what a pleasant surprise, a sadly unexpected plot twist... Beautiful and moving...

To solve the financial crisis of his family's antique shop, Beto ventures into the interior of Bahia in search of a collection of rare engravings. There he meets Samir, the collector, and his family ruined by the decline of the cocoa plantations. This encounter will make him delve into his own family history and change his view of the world.

The way that two characters (I'm not saying who) connected felt a bit off, a bit strange to me. However, I understand that this needed to happen so the plot would move on. I accept that, and it was the only problem.

Okay. That said, now let's talk about (without spoilers, of course) the philosophical epiphany that watching this made me feel. I literally changed my view of the world, of how people can be different, how each one sees and feels everything in a different way, and, in the end, what matters is the value we put on the things we love. It's all about perception, individual subjectivity, and, most of all, it became clear to me that each one of us live in our idiosyncratic private world, shaped solely by our personal perspectives.

I wish I could say more, but this is a type o movie that can't be spoiled. The full experience is pivital. Nevertheless, I must accentuate how truly astonished I am. I hope this masterpiece gets more views; it's a waste that it had be seen so little.