I Would Have a Hard Time Explaining This Film to Anyone Without Ruining It, Enjoy!

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MOVIE REVIEW
Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands
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Genre: Drama, Comedy, Fantasy, Adult, and more
Year Released: 1976
Runtime: 1h 58m
Director(s): Bruno Barreto
Writer(s): Jorge Amado (novel,) Bruno Barreto, Eduardo Coutinho
Cast: Sônia Braga, José Wilker, Mauro Mendonça, Dinorah Brillanti, Nelson Xavier
Where To Watch: Available on blu-ray & digital www.filmmovement.com/product/dona-flor-and-her-two-husbands

You would think that by this point, I would learn never to assume that I knew what a movie would be like. The first few minutes of this were a joyful musical number, and then… right down the rabbit hole, we went. That’s why cinema is such an incredible medium; IMDb shows this as a comedy/drama. Film Movement, who is re-releasing this gorgeous 4K restoration, calls it a drama, and honestly, it’s all of that and more.

Nominated for a Golden Globe for “Best Foreign Film,” it lost out to AUTUMN SONATA (which I just recently watched as well.) Honestly, I would’ve given it to this without question. The story was better, and it was just a better experience overall.

The film's twist is just insane and fantastic at the same time, I don’t want to give anything away, but it caught me by surprise. It made me want to grab the novel it's based on (and I’m not a huge reader.) I can only imagine how this was told in the book because there is such a visual key to it all.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to dive into the extras included. Still, there is a commentary by director Bruno Barreto, a behind-the-scenes featurette, and a 16-page booklet with an essay from the producer and costume designer (which, let me tell you, the costumes in this film were stunning. The colors in the movie were almost hypnotic and almost told a story of their own.

I haven’t seen any of Barreto’s other films, but after this, I’m curious to see how they all are compared to this. The innovative way that this story is told instantly sold me; a lot of films can tend to blend style-wise, but there was something almost mystical about the look of this one.

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