I know, I went quiet again. The simple reason is that after James Bond, there wasn’t much on, although I did go to London Film Festival a couple of times. I saw Red Rocket, Sean Baker’s new film after The Florida Project (one of the best of the last 5 years) which was disappointing, Pedro, a film about someone in India killing a cow (I didn’t really get what was going on) and Hit The Road, which actually won best film at LFF. I enjoyed that one and look forward to re-watching when it’s released next year. Surbiton Rebel Wilson Fan Club didn’t enjoy LFF as it had competent actors in it. Still, before I watch Dune and the French Dispatch, I just wanted to discuss this film I randomly caught last week.

Set in 1950’s Brazil, Invisible Life looks at two sisters called Euridice and Guida who when we meet them are in their late teens. Euridice is a quiet, incredibly gifted pianist who dreams of play in Vienna, while Guida is much more of a free spirit. Both love each other dearly. One day, Guida asks Euridice to help her escape to a party. Much to Euridice’s surprise, Guida runs off that evening with a man to Greece. Euridice marries a Brazilian man some time later, having not heard from Guida. All seems calm until Guida comes back to Rio De Janiero pregnant. The father is outraged and banishes Guida, falsely telling her that Euridice has moved to Austria to pursue her dream, while Euridice is none the wiser, still believing that Guida is in Greece.

At this point, the two miss each other very much. Euridice is regularly asking her parents about whether they’ve heard from Guida, while Guida regularly sends letters home, although none ever reach Euridice. They both imagine the other out in Europe living their dream, while the reality is that both are in Brazil, not living the dreams and being stifled by the world around them.

The film really reflects the rampant sexism of the time in a brutal manner. Both women are limited and hurt by those around them. Euridice’s dream is quashed by her husband in the same way that Guida’s happy ending is ruined by the Greek man who has left her to be a single mother. Their father is stopping their loving relationship while their mother is described as his shadow. Most of the dialogue throughout shows this theme as do the sex scenes which show how the men have all the power. Despite the world beating them down, however, the relationship between Euridice and Guida is never fleeting as they love each other and want nothing more than to be back together. Nowhere is this clearer than in the film’s final act which is one of the strongest of the year and left me an emotional state.

The main way it did this was through a simple and engaging plot and good story telling. The script is a tight one, with each new scene showing quite a lot of progress. After the first 20 minutes, there is no filler, no time to breathe and reflect. You’re on this journey, potentially hopping forward years at a time, following two complex and fleshed out characters, praying for their reunion.

The whole film really kept me intrigued in its almost 2.5 hour run time. The cinematography wasn’t particularly special, as the film was very indie, but that’s fine. The characters are so much more important than any special effects. They make it authentic, so much so that some of the more melodramatic moments forgivable, and rather emotional. I did shed some tears at some point in this movie. Any sadness and fear is matched by community. When Guida is banished from her house, the film risks becoming some form of “poverty porn”, however what it does instead is see her befriend another woman and rely on this community, offsetting that with Euridice’s more depressing but conventionally successful life with her not very supportive family network.

The film does something really interesting when entering a new time period by having it introduced with Guida’s voice reading the letters she sends to Euridice. This technique in particular doesn’t go with the show don’t tell mantra, however it does effectively show time passing and despite the hardships going on in Guida’s life, it shows how much she still cares for her sister.

I also want to give a quick shout out to the wonderful score by Benedikt Schiefer. It’s quite understated at times, but dominant at others. It sticks to classical instruments, especially the piano which reflects Euridice’s life. The more fantastical naturalistic parts of the score also leave you in a bit of a trance.

Summary

The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao isn’t for those faint of heart, however away from the more disturbing scenes, there is an absolutely brilliant story of two sisters who love each other and want nothing more to be reunited. While subtly looking at power and sexism themes, the tight writing and acting lead to a really emotional story which is one of the best of the year. [Grade: A]

This film has a very limited cinema run, but it also available to stream