Jaime (1999)

Note des utilisateurs:

6.8/10   

Réalisateur:

António-Pedro Vasconcelos

Writers:

Carlos Saboga (writer)
António-Pedro Vasconcelos (writer)

Release Date:

11 avril 1999 (Portugal)

Genre:

Drame

Accroche:

Os homens não se medem aos palmos

Plot:

A woman takes her young son, leaves her husband and moves in with her lover. The boy, desperate to get his parents back together...

Plot Keywords:

Boy | Unemployment | Children | Supermarket | Mother Son Relationship

Awards:

7 wins & 5 nominations

Avis des utilisateurs:

hard lessons for a soft viewer

Ensemble

Saúl Fonseca	...	Jaime
Fernanda Serrano	...	Marta
Joaquim Leitão	...	Abel
Sandro Silva	...	Ulisses
Vítor Norte	...	Garcez
Guilherme Leme	...	António
Nicolau Breyner	...	Coluna
Rogério Samora	...	Gil
Zita Duarte	...	Joana
Carlos Rodrigues	...	Teófilo
Carla Maciel	...	Filó
José Pinto	...	Saúl
Pedro Efe	...	Mota
Canto e Castro	...	Motorcycle Salesman
Graça Nazaré	...	Deolinda

Autre(s) titre(s):

Porto 1998 (Portugal) (working title)
Ras le bol (France) [fr]

Durée:

111 min

Pays:

Portugal | Brazil | Luxembourg

Langue:

Portugais

Couleur:

Couleur

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Son:

Dolby

Classification:

France:U | Portugal:M/12

Emplacements De Pelliculage:

Lisbon, Portugal

Company:

Fado Filmes

Movie Connections:

References Ladri di biciclette (1948)

Soundtrack:

Não Me Mintas

hard lessons for a soft viewer

To the person who commented that the movie seems to be saying that "the problem with working children is not they aren't in school or that someone is taking advantage of them but the fact they are taking the places from the grown up people" -- this is inaccurate, or rather inadequate -- that's the view of one character in the film. Taken overall, I think the film's comments on work, social relations, and exploitation are much broader: The film seems to be about how the scramble for survival amongst those on the "lower rungs" of the socioeconomic "ladder" will bring out the hardness in people and their attitude towards those around them & life in general. I read the film as saying, if you're at or near the bottom, and aren't willing or able to stomp on a few people while attempting to climb up, you're not going to make it--literally. The consequences of this "failure" might even mean death. If this sounds Dickensian, that's because it is.

Living as I do in safe, comfortable Canada, insulated from this reality, I found myself very uncomfortable witnessing how the characters dealt with each other in the film. It's as if while we are moving into the 21st century (new economy and all that, including this Web site!), many people are returning to the 19th century, or at least the conditions of the 19th century in rapidly industrializing Europe.

I was also left wondering to what degree I am contributing to this process: in an era of globalization many people from Canada (including myself) have money invested abroad (of course none of us knows where exactly) via mutual funds and all that. Particularly in the film's work scenes, I found myself thinking, my money could be involved in that construction site or that bakery...

I found this film to be a painful experience, but in a good way. I would highly recommend this film for looking at these issues unflinchingly -- if you want something escapist and fun, this is absolutely not the film for you. But I would say to the filmmakers, thanks for the dose of reality!