Review by claudio_carvalho

Sérgio (Hugo Carvana), Felicidade (Norma Bengell) and Betinha (Cristina Pereira) compose a dysfunctional family, and while traveling to Rio de Janeiro, Sérgio and Felicidade have another serious altercation, culminating with the aggression of Felicidade with a razor blade on Sergio's neck in a motel. Felicidade believes she has killed Sérgio and she decides to escape to São Paulo with Betinha in the family's car. In the highway, she notes that a black Volkswagen Beetle is following their car. After an incident in a gas station caused by Betinha, they are introduced to Orlando Barde (Otávio Augusto), the driver of the Beetle, and they decide to travel together in the small car to São Paulo. In a small town, Felicidade tries to get away from Orlando, but a bus hits her and Dona Niobi (Miriam Muniz) and Dr. Dirceu (Ary Fontoura), a pretentious poet and frustrated dentist, help Felicidade. In their house, the deranged Betinha provokes the most weird and surrealistic situations, when each character discloses innermost revelations.

Yesterday I saw 'Mar de Rosas' for the first time and honestly I did not like it. Norma Bengell gives an outstanding performance in the role of the frustrated and wounded Felicidade and is the best this movie offers to the viewer, since the screenplay is too much bizarre for my taste. Some surrealistic situations slightly recalled Buñuel style, but I am not daring to compare Ana Carolina with the master of the surrealism. My vote is three.

Title (Brazil): 'Mar de Rosas' ('Sea of Roses' (literally); however, 'Mar de Rosas' in Portuguese is an idiomatic expression meaning 'everything is calm')