Multi-task actress, director and writer Maria Ribeiro stars in this lovely comedy drama short about the reminescences of life when we reach a certain age.
Here, it's the reflective 25th that makes Malu re-examine her past, life, friendship and the future. What mattered once is no big deal from now on and changes
are inevitable but we have certain ways to deal with them. A trip to her hometown, meeting her best friends (Bárbara Paz and Micaela Goes) and sharing stories
and intimacies reveal a lot about their past, their individualism and to Malu her views on life.
Ribeiro brings several qualities in this piece, very balanced, introspective and even if viewers don't relate with characters and situations, at least will be making interesting thoughts about the person they were on that age, before and beyond that. Her thoughts about what she lived, experienced or not at that age comes to everyone's minds but it's all relative as well since there's one expectations versus the actual reality, what's been done and what's left to do (here the film deals more with past memories, known casual relationships or sometimes more grounded relations, married or dating). Not much of a critical age as 18 is for many cultures as a real turning point but it has its special things - perhaps when most of us get really reflective. The age of reason, as defined by some.
As a comedy the movie works nicely with the three women (Bárbara is amazing as the crazier from the group) and it'd be a lot interesting having a full feature with them sharing adventures on that same location in Rio Grande do Sul or elsewhere; the dramatic bits are good but not deep enough in terms of what we are shown - mostly inner thoughts narrated by the main character in between moments of loneliness. There isn't much of a life-changing event or some unusual action that could act as a dramatic or interesting catalyst of events where Malu starts to question things she never questioned before or why such an importance on her new age. In any case, it's a valid experience, with admirable qualities and for a change, despite all talk about the men in their lives, they're so in second plan here that you won't bother with them all that much since they can do better without them - but a pity none of them had a moment, or a fling neither discussed about Zé, the good-looking friend played by Sérgio Abreu of whom they meet on a wedding party. So, his act ends up too random and doesn't add to the story, in that case a pity because he's a good actor. 8/10
Ribeiro brings several qualities in this piece, very balanced, introspective and even if viewers don't relate with characters and situations, at least will be making interesting thoughts about the person they were on that age, before and beyond that. Her thoughts about what she lived, experienced or not at that age comes to everyone's minds but it's all relative as well since there's one expectations versus the actual reality, what's been done and what's left to do (here the film deals more with past memories, known casual relationships or sometimes more grounded relations, married or dating). Not much of a critical age as 18 is for many cultures as a real turning point but it has its special things - perhaps when most of us get really reflective. The age of reason, as defined by some.
As a comedy the movie works nicely with the three women (Bárbara is amazing as the crazier from the group) and it'd be a lot interesting having a full feature with them sharing adventures on that same location in Rio Grande do Sul or elsewhere; the dramatic bits are good but not deep enough in terms of what we are shown - mostly inner thoughts narrated by the main character in between moments of loneliness. There isn't much of a life-changing event or some unusual action that could act as a dramatic or interesting catalyst of events where Malu starts to question things she never questioned before or why such an importance on her new age. In any case, it's a valid experience, with admirable qualities and for a change, despite all talk about the men in their lives, they're so in second plan here that you won't bother with them all that much since they can do better without them - but a pity none of them had a moment, or a fling neither discussed about Zé, the good-looking friend played by Sérgio Abreu of whom they meet on a wedding party. So, his act ends up too random and doesn't add to the story, in that case a pity because he's a good actor. 8/10