THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET
Directed by: Marcos Bernstein.
Produced by: Kátia Machado & Marcos Bernstein.
Written by: Marcos Bernstein & Melanie Dimantas.
Director of Photography: Toca Seabra.
Edited by: Marcelo Moraes.
Music by: Guilherme Bernstein Seixas.
Released by: Strand Releasing.
Language: Portuguese with English subtitles.
Country of Origin: Brazil/France. 98 min. Not Rated.
With: Fernanda Montenegro, Raul Cortez, Laura Cardoso & Luis Carlos Persy.

The excellent actress Fernanda Montenegro (Central Station) lights up whatever film she appears in, giving it strength and depth with her naturalism and complete immersion in her role. Her latest film, The Other Side of the Street, certainly benefits from her constant presence, but cannot quite escape the small but significant flaws in structure and pace that haunt it to the very last scene.

The story itself is provocative and suspenseful. Set in the Brazilian city of Copacabana, an old and lonely woman, Regina (Montenegro), helps the police in an undercover (and non-rewarded) capacity. One night while looking out of her apartment to the building across the street, she watches a man give a woman an injection. When she realizes the woman has died, she is convinced she has seen a murder. However, when the police doesn't follow-up she investigates on her own and ends up starting a strange relationship with the man, a well-known, well connected former judge.

The film's pace changes constantly, moving very slowly or very quickly, never quite reaching the ideal speed. The fact that the narrative does not always have a structured, coherent logic does not help. A love scene suddenly comes out of nowhere, during which it's not clear if Regina is imagining it or if it is actually happening. Another problem is that some scenes are too long while others are pointlessly short, as when Regina goes to the woman's funeral; it might as well have been edited out, for nothing significant happens. Especially at the end, there is a feeling as if too much has been edited out; the story almost jumps to its conclusion.

Raul Cortez, as the judge, plays his role with flair, but at times his acting appears unnatural and cannot match Montenegro. The policeman Regina assists (Luis Carlos Persy) is a well-played mixture of hardness and softness. Other characters seem too secondary, and one can’t help watch as Montenegro basically steals the entire show. Roxana M. Ramirez
February 25, 2005