"A Vida Invisível" or "The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão" or just "Invisible Life" is a co-production between Brazil and Germany from 2019 and as I am from Germany I find it interesting that in the long title I mentioned only one of the tow sisters is mentioned, but the German title they went for is the one that mentions them both. I think it is justified to mention both of them because Eurídice may be more present at the end also when they show us how she is an old woman now and don't show us Guida, but really it is about both sisters and even this ending I just mentioned is very much about both of them, even if we only see one. The other one is on her mind and she cannot be there physically anyway because she is no longer alive. So yeah, you saw I got spoilers :D Alright. This is a really long film at way over two hours and actually it is closer to 2.5 hours than 2 hours, but I personally felt it maybe did not fly by, but definitely never dragged and that is always a success with a film that has such a massive running time. The director is Karim Aïnouz, who is from Brazil, even if his name may not sound like that and I was lucky enough to watch this movie months after its original release here in Germany on a one time occasion with the director present. And I have no clue if he will ever read it here, but I thought his brief interviews before the film started was very insightful and it was a shame that there were people applauding in a lengthy manner, so that the film could finally start. Without Aïnouz, there would not even be a film, so people need to show some respect. I just want to say that I am very grateful Aïnouz was there to give us some words on the movie itself and also how it was perceived in Brazil, the light coming from the national film academy that picked it for the Oscars, the shwdow coming from Bolsonaro and his government. By the way, the film did not manage to score an Oscar nomination earlier this year, but I would say the Academy got it wrong there because it would have been a worthy inclusion and actually I like it more than the winner from South Korea that also won Best Picture by the way. But let us not drift too far away now. The film scored more than enough awards attention anyway everywhere else around the Globe and even in America with the National Board of Review for example. Aïnouz is also one of three writers who adapted the book by Martha Batalha for the screen here. Apparently, it is her only book that got turned into a movie so far. She is still young though, in her 40s, so who knows maybe there will be more in the future. I have not read her book, but I have a feeling it could be equally good as this movie, but anyway just sayin' because I cannot talk about parallels and differences here between the base material and film, but I will only elaborate on the movie.

The film is basically a two-person performance, at least at its core. Interestingly enough with the title focusing on Eurídice (we also find out what is going on with her when her sister is in Greece and we do not find out about the latter getting pregnant, breaking up etc.),the first credit goes to Julia Stockler nonetheless. I thought with the name and this being a German co-production, she could be German, but nope, she is from Brazil too. So is her co-lead Carol Duarte of course. Two young aspiring actresses from South America and I will be curious where their careers lead them eventually. I personally preferred Stockler, also looks-wise, and because there was more energy to her, but that of course also had to do with her character. There is nothing negative I could say about Duarte's portrayal. It also fit nicely. I assume people with a career in music (well, classical music, not rock or so) are usually more on the restrained side character-wise and not highly emotional. Or at least, they do not let everybody else now. Next I will just mention a few moments and scenes that I still remember very well. I think the lengthy introduction with the sisters still together was really important and crucial in the face of the fact that they will be separated for the rest of the movie. We did not know that yet, but it makes it necessary, also to understand who is who and what their characters are like. It also makes it a pretty interesting rewatch I assume knowing that the night with the friends is the last noght they are actually together, nothing either ever saw coming. And yet, there is a great deal of coincidence in this film and I really liked how Aïnouz included it and elaborated on it. Like the scene with both women's kids and how they were watching the fish next to each other without knowing one bit who they actually were. This scene really could have gone wrong if handled unprofessionally, but it felt real, authentic and touching because the two women were so close to each other, yet so far. Also how indeed they almost actually meet, but Guida leaves before Eurídice returns and actually had she spoken to her dad or tried to, then she may have seen Eurídice too. She did not care about her dad one bit anymore though, which resulted in the two not only not meeting that night, but never meeting. I also thought the Filomena character was interesting in the sense that she became Guida's new family, mother, sister and father all in one as Guida said on one occasion. And Filomena also says something like how Guida could have talked to her dad and maybe found her sister again this way, which proved oh so true, but still the contact with Filomena also eventually results in Guida losing the final straw to her family when they think that she has died because she has to indirectly fake her own death to be allowed to keep the house. The house that a lover gave to Filomena at one point. Also Filomena's take on men and how it differs compared to Guida's was interesing on one occasion. It was a really brief moment, but stayed in the mind as well.

As for Eurídice, she has her own interesting life story as well. She does get pregnant, which gets a bit in the way of her career and honestly, it was a bit surprising that she stayed with her man throughout the entire movie with how things started between them, but I guess it wwas also realistic, even if it was a bit sobering because I was skeptical if she actually loved him. Or if it was just because he is the father of her child. Children. Maybe also because she did not want to cause as much shame to her father as Guida did early on. Shame and responsibility were a totally different issue back then, especially compared to today, but also in a country like Brazil, where even the most liberal people were still really faithful Christians and God stood above everything. There is this moment when Eurídice finds out about Guida's child from her father when they think she is dead and that moment reminded me of words that were spoken earlier about how a child/boy can change a man's mind with a reference to the women's father who maybe could forgive Guida for what she did. Another very brief, but very haunting quote and inclusion. And finally, there is the emotional highlight at the end, when we tragically find out that the two never saw each other again, but Eurídice gets the letters from her sister eventually, although I must say I did not understand entirely what happened to them, but that was probably just me there. The code to the safe was still another smart inclusion telling us a lot about one supporting character. Anyway, as for the ending: When we see Eurídice hug Guida's granddaughter with how similar she looks to her grandmother, it is difficult for the tears not to roll. Or the finity of it all that the longing described in the film's German title stayed unsuccessful and the sisters never met each other again because one thought the other to be dead and the other way around one thought the other would live in Europe while the truth was that they lived really not far from each other, but in a metropolis like Rio you don't just run into each other and who knows if they had even recognized each other 20 years after their last meeting or so. Also I liked that the writer, probably the original writer, is not desparately going for happy endings here and solving everything in an unrealistic manner to please the crowd. The best example is the last scene in the 1950s it still was I think when we find out about Eurídice's severe mental problems and illness, certainly also fueled by losing her sister and she realizes she has to let her go, accept her death in order to find peace and happiness herself again. A big challenge. I really applaud everybody who worked on this film. Looking at the rating here on imdb, but also the reception by critics and awards bodies I knew I would be in for a good film, but I did not expect it to be the great film it actually turned out to be. Maybe slightly better for females to watch because of the protagonists' gender, but guys like myself can definitely also have a good time. Maybe the ultimate movie for sisters to watch in fact and see what they have in each other. I give this film a big thumbs-up and would like to say I am really happy I got to watch this one as I missed out earlier this year before the entire Corona mess started and it definitely would have been my loss. Thanks to Mr. Aïnouz for making this beautiful film (and also thanks to everybody else who was part of it, especially the two actresses Duarte and Stockler) and also thanks for introducing us to this piece of art at the open air cinema three days ago, Mr. Aïnouz. Highly recommended. One of the best films I have seen all year. And I have seen a lot.

Greetings again from the darkness. Masterful storytelling when combined with expert filmmaking is a treasure to be appreciated and enjoyed, even if the story is not so pleasant. Such is the case with this gem from writer-director Karim Ainouz, who adapted the screenplay with Murilo Hauser and Ines Bortagaray from the novel "The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao" by Martha Bathala. Based in Rio de Janiero, the film blends the vibrant colors of the area with the traditional and restrictive Latin American family expectations of the 1950's.

The story spans 5 or 6 decades, and when we first meet sisters Euridice and Guida, it's clear they share a tight emotional bond that goes deeper than blood. Though their personalities differ greatly, they are both ahead of their time and out of step with the conventions of the era. Euridice (a strong performance by Carol Duarte) longs for independence and aspires to be a concert pianist after a hoped-for Conservatory in Vienna, while Guida (a powerhouse Julia Stockler) is a dreamer seeking true love, and whose party girl ways must be kept hidden from their conservative father. Both young ladies are spirited, yet respectful.

Their lives are forever altered when Guida runs off to Greece with her sailor lover. As is too often the case with young dreamers, she returns home once her spontaneous choices prove to be poor judgment. Her father rejects his pregnant daughter since, in his eyes, she has disgraced the family. The parents mislead Guida about her sister's whereabouts, so Guida assumes Euridice is off at conservatory fulfilling her dreams. This sets Guida off on her own solitary path.

In actuality, Euridice has married and experienced one of the worst ever wedding nights, featuring what is likely cinema's most unsexy bathroom lovemaking scene. There is an element of horror films to this segment of the film, as the sisters are living their worst nightmares, while being separated from each other ... unable to communicate. The male-dominated Latin culture and family traditions prevent their mother from 'disobeying' the father's order, so the cruel lie continues as the sisters unknowingly live their lives within the same town. There is even one excruciatingly painful-to-watch scene that finds them in the same restaurant at the same time, yet oblivious to the presence of the other.

Each woman's inner-strength pushes them forward. Guida (now Gisele) befriends a wise former prostitute Filomena (an excellent Barbara Santos) who becomes her mentor in poverty. Euridice tries to make the best of her situation while keeping her dream alive. Mostly what we have is a tragic story without one specific tragedy - other than the daughter spurned by her father. There are so many moments of pain and frustration, with undelivered mail being among the worst. The film is beautifully shot by cinematographer Helene Louvart, and it reminds us that 'life happens', and it's not all love and Bach. This is an emotional and heart-breaking story, and devotees of The Lifetime Channel will likely be disappointed in the ending. For me, I have no qualms about the emotional wringer the film puts viewers through - even after the opening scene foreshadowing.

This movie is SO SLOW you can grow tomatoes and eat them by the time you're finished watching.

Plus, the story isn't all that interesting.

But what's worst is that the director thinks he's Stanley Kubrick and flms the entire borefest in natural lighting. What that means is all interior scenes are dark, slightly off-focus and muted in color. It's annoying.