L'ange gardien

Almost 2 hours about an one of the most important rock musicians of Portugal and you get more a hart listening singing of the actor than the getting famous context in the Portuguese society which could be more interesting for the not-knowing audience. The actors are good (except the solo singing parts) but the propose stays unclear.

When entering the movie, I didn't know much about António Variações besides the great artist he was and his unique way of dressing. The movie shows his biography in a superficial way and focus more on the music he wrote. In my opinion, it should be more balanced with his personal life, tastes, way of thinking and feelings. Also, the movie doesn't explain how he got "Variações" since his name is António Ribeiro. I enjoyed the way they recorded and the work of the main actor, but I simply feel the need, after seeing this movie, to search more about Variações, some things that the movie couldn't explain. However, it is nice to see that there are more options in the cinema besides the same and usual movies, specially in portuguese with this quality.

If it were for the acting, the photography, the custome design and the sets this movie would be a 10/10. It starts brilliantly, the beginning gives us hope of learning who António is, however it quickly becomes shallow. The character development just isn't there, the characters never come to life. The basic question of how Antonio Ribeiro became Variações is never answered, this movie was saved from being a let down by the actors.

The movie is good. The plot has some holes, the screenplay is a bit cheesy but i enjoyed it. I would've liked to see his persona and love life explored more deeply and some curiosities like how he got the name Variações or how he died and the drama/trauma around it. Maybe i'm one of the few who didn't know a lot of his life and would like to see it explored. Didn't know the main actor but i really liked his work and clearly a lot of preparation into making this movie. Congratulations to all envolved! Overall a very good movie, mostly because of the well-known and iconic songs. I can even see a similarity between António Variações and Freddie Mercury, both iconic misunderstood figures of the world/portugal, who suffered a lot to get where they were.

Portuguese cinema had a great evolution in this decade. Movies such as "La Cage Dorée", "Blood of My Blood", "Parque Mayer" or "Jogo de Damas" are some of the films that prove it. "Variações" joins this list and brings something new that few films bring with them: a love letter to the cinema. Although the budget in Portugal is small it is amazing how they can create films of this large size. João Maia was fantastic as a director as well as a screenwriter, the cinematography is very effective, a wardrobe that could have been better invested, but a great and fabulous makeup and hair styling. Sérgio Praia's performance is praiseworthy and deserves all the awards and a few more, I even dare to say that he should be the first Portuguese actor to compete for the Oscar nominations. Between "Parque Mayer" and "Variações" I don't know which one can compete for the nomination for Best Foreign Film at the Oscars. But one thing is for sure this movie will make our Portuguese people cry.