BACURAU
Kleber MENDONÇA FILHO, Juliano DORNELLES — BRAZIL, FRANCE — 132 minutes
IN A NUTSHELL
Set slightly in the future, the film follows Teresa (Bárbara Colen) who has returned to her hometown, for the funeral of her grandmother. The town is Bacurau, which has suddenly become beset by strange happenings following the death of its matriarch at the age of 94. Bacurau cannot be found on modern GPS, and mobile phones do not have a signal. And things only get stranger as the film unfolds. (words by Bianca Garner)
CRITICAL RESPONSE
“The problem with subverting our expectations at every turn, not to mention the vast array of characters to handle, is that you can easily slip into narrative incoherence with the mixture of genres at hand. That happens, from time to time, but not at the expense of consistently keeping our attentions glued to the screen. We are indeed hooked by what is transpiring. It sings with blossoming camerawork and the kind of spiritual elegance a token midnight-er would surely lack.” — Jordan Ruimy, World of Reel
“As premises go, this human-poaching scenario promises excitement galore, though co-directors Kleber Mendonça Filho and longtime collaborator Juliano Dornelles overthink it, delivering a visually impressive but unevenly paced thriller that feels as if it’s meant to be analyzed more than enjoyed, and for which footnotes might actually have done more good than subtitles.” — Peter Debruge, Variety
“Bacurau is not always wholly successful in weaving all its narrative strains together in the course of what ultimately becomes an allegory for colonialism and its blowback. This film’s ways of retribution and righteousness are sneaky, full of surprises, and often laced with humor.” — Barbara Scharres, RogerEbert.com
PRIZE PROSPECTS
The last time Brazilian director, Kleber Mendonça Filho, came to Cannes was with Aquarius, in which the brilliant Sonia Braga was touted as a strong Best Actress contender. It was not to be. Braga returns, this time also under the co-direction of Juliano Dornelles. Bacurau is shrouded in a kind of enigma, often described in terms of a genre-cross mystery.
This surrealism might well make it a stand-out come the end of the festival. Did I mention there is UFO activity in the film? I’m not convinced the consensus will of the jury will carry this to a big prize on Saturday. Not even for Udo Kier, who would be a popular Best Actor winner for his body of work. Prospect-wise, there are similarities to be made with the director-heavy Les Misérables, in that there may well be the opportunity for a special technical prize for the film’s vivid cinematography if all else fails. (words by Robin Write)
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