Une seconde mère

A subtle look into the not very subtle work relations in Brazil, where slavery is all but truly abolished. After working for over 10 years both as nanny and housemaid to an upper middle class family in São Paulo, Val is supposedly regarded as one of the family, occupying, however, shabby and crammed quarters in the beautiful mansion of her employers. When the family agrees to welcome Val's daughter for a short time while she sits for college admission exams, everyone gets a lot more than they bargained for. The bright girl's presence will affect the whole household, putting to the test the politically correct attitude of the employers to their employees and making evident the full hypocrisy of the situation. The material director and screenplay writer Muylaert deals with is potentially both tragic and comic. She has wisely chosen comedy, but not the laughing out loud kind. This film will put a light smile on your face while making you a little uncomfortable at the same time, particularly if, like most Brazilians, you don't really see everyone in society exactly as your equal.

I believe this movie is an accurate depiction of a typical upper middle class or upper class Brazilian household. There is a clear and well defined divide between the haves and the have nots. Val the maid lives in a small room and comes from the impoverished North East of Brazil (just as former President Lula did!). I think the film maker wanted to paint a picture of stark contrasts, somewhat like a film version of Casa-Grande & Senzala by Gilberto Freyre (discussed the various classes and races in Brazil 1933). Although the mother was a pretty overbearing one percenter, I don't think she is unique and could be found anywhere! The father was pretty cool, absolutely nothing phoney about him, all up front. The movie presents the Vestibular University entrance exam system. The system does not distinguish applicants based on societal position. Also the best Universities are free, so we can all learn something from Brazil. Parabéns.

This movie does a exceptional analysis of the modern Brazilian society, showing the difference of classes and how this is deal inside the family houses. The viewers of the movie start seeing themselves in the role of the employers of the housemaids and realize that actually they already did a lot of situations that they consider absurd. This start causing a discomfort on the the spectator and make them think in the model of society that they live. With a strong direction but still feel free for improvisation, this movie is one of the best Brazilian in years. Since Central Station we do not see a movie that is so well related to Brazilian reality of segregation and difference of classes. Perfect performances (not only of the main roles, but all characters in the movie), beautiful photography and really well done soundtrack this movie put again Brazil on the track of countries who can show their reality in their own way.

"The Second Mother" (2015 release from Brazil; 112 min.; original title "Que Horas Ela Volta?" or "What Time Will She Be Back?") brings the story of Val, who has been working as a live-in maid for many years (later we learn it's about 15 years) at a well-off family in Sao Paolo. She's part of the family, yet of course knows the rules of the do's and don't's that come with being the maid. Then out of the blue appears Val's daughter Jessica, whom she hasn't seen in years. Jessica wants to study to take the entrance test at the FAU (Architecture and Urbanization School). As it happens, Fabinho, the son of the family, is as well. On top of that, Jessica has different ideas as to what rules she should or shouldn't abide by, being the daughter of the live-in maid. To tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments; this is the latest movie from noted Brazilian writer-director Anna Muylaert (a very Belgian name indeed). She has previously brought us "The Year My Parents Went On Vacation", among others. Here she looks at the class differences in Brazilian society, something that Brazilian cinema has a long history and track record in. There are a number of telling scenes in the movie, none more so (for me anyway) when Jessica tells the well-off family that she plans to take the notoriously difficult and selective FAU entrance exam. "This country is really changing" mutters the mother, in what could be a positive way, but really is a condescending tone. While the movie is billed as a drama, there are plenty of lighter moments in it as well, usually courtesy of Regina Case in the role of Val. The whole movie is on her shoulder, and she does is with a wink and a smile. As to the movie's US title, which departs significantly from the original title, you will see in the movie that there are several ways to interpret that. One minor negative is that the movie is a bit long for its own good. With some tighter editing, this could've been about 15 min. shorter without losing much. But in the end it's a minor quibble.

I saw this movie on what turned out to be the last day of its one week run at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati. Not surprisingly, the early evening screening where I saw this at was not well attended. Maybe this will find a second life when it comes out on DVD. If you are in the mood for a top quality foreign movie that's short on 'action' but long on substance, you cannot go wrong with this, be it at the theater, on VOD or on DVD/Blu-ray. "The Second Mother" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Brazilian filmmaking won me over a lot last year with the sensitive, funny and uplifting The Way He Looks, now I'm back in Brazil's court with the endearing The Second Mother. Their filmmakers doing domestic drama the way America should be, taking it in humanistic ways without over-complication. It's a simple setup, one organic and truthful despite how nuanced the drama is. When Val's estranged teenage daughter comes to stay with the affluent family she lives with and serves, the balance is upset by her simply using their pool and eating their ice cream. It highlights the social constructs which are assumed with certain boundaries and duties. The family considers Val part of the family, but far from treats her like one, and Regina Case's performance as Val is effortless and stellar. The film points out those hypocrisies in a well defined, lightly comedic and dramatically satisfying way. Writer/director Anna Muylaert knows how to play all her cards right, including careful mise en scene to distinguish the dichotomies between class and their spaces. The film is a whisper with its quiet drama, but its implications are loud, striking a tender chord.

8/10