FILM-FORWARD.COMReviews of Recent Independent, Foreign, & Documentary Films in Theaters and DVD/Home Video
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET
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
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