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Review

Montenegro (Oscar nominee for Central Station) gives a virtuoso performance as an embittered divorcée who discovers that love can come about at the most unexpected times in this poignant, involving, often humorous drama about second chances. Regina lives alone in her high-rise apartment in Rio de Janeiro, long divorced and estranged from her son, who lives with his father. Though a doting grandmother, Regina's life is filled only with her participation in a senior's program which reports crimes to the police. When she spies through her binoculars across the street a husband administering a lethal injection to his wife, she becomes obsessed with proving him guilty of murder. As she cons her way into this man's life, Regina can't help but be enamored by this seemingly charming person, feeling emotions for the first time in years -- but if he is a murderer, is she next? Montenegro, the grand dame of Brazilian theatre and film, is simply terrific conveying the loneliness, frustration and conflict facing Regina as she evolves from disagreeable snoop to a vulnerable and vital woman -- whose vigilance in solitude becomes a calling card for connecting to those around her. It's a sly, sardonic portrayal that befits an unsentimental film whose sweetness will take you by surprise. (Portuguese with English subtitles)

 -- David Bleiler