THE SECOND MOTHER/ QUE HORAS ELA VOLTA/ WHAT TIME WILL SHE BE BACK

Brazil, 2015, 112 minutes, Colour.
Regina Case, Camilla Mardila, Karine Teles, Michel Joelsas.
Directed by Anna Muylaert.

The Second Mother is Val, Regina Case, a middle-aged woman who acts as servant in the house of a very wealthy family in San Paolo.

The English title focuses on the mother while the original Brazilian title talks about the time when she will return. This means that the film serves as an introduction to contemporary Brazilian society, audiences observing how similar the way of life is in San Paolo to so many other cities around the world.

But, the difference the film wants to emphasise is that of servants, masters and mistresses, the issue of class.

Val has had a hard life, separating from her husband, having to leave her daughter, Jessica, with her father and his partner, sending money to support her, sometimes bringing gifts, experiencing long years with no contact from her daughter. Val has absorbed the ethos of being a servant. She takes it for granted, obeying her rather haughty mistress, looking after the rather quiet and ineffectual master, lavishing all her capacity for love on their son, from his time as a little boy over 10 years to his adolescence, his finishing his secondary education and his sitting for university entrance exams.

Val is quite likeable but even we wish she would not be so subservient, where nothing is too much trouble, a collage of detail all the work that she does around the house, the menial jobs, the cooking and serving, just being at the ready for whatever is asked of her.Her daughter, Jessica, does make contact arranging to meet her mother at the airport but not wanting to go to stay where Val lives. We know that there is going to be some conflict. Jessica seems to be very self-possessed, and not wanting to take any patronising or humiliating attitudes and behaviour from the wealthy family. She resents her mother doing this kind of work and is really upset at one stage when she feels her mother does not defend her against the criticisms of the family.

In the middle of the film, especially when the mother is injured in an accident which bring on various tantrums, one is tempted to say that they all deserve what they get.

However, this is a very women-oriented film, from the writer-director, to Val herself, to Jessica, to the mother – with the men, like Val’s husband, off-screen, or the father of the household taking to his bed and, quietly and desperately proposing to Jessica. The son will go out on his own (pleasingly, to Australia for six months) but he has been molly-coddled by Val and her affection and the interprets his mother’s lack of feeling and disdain to her thinking he was a dumb. Val has really been his first mother rather than his second mother.

When a new piece of information is given about 15 minutes before the end, we can well guess what is about to happen – and it does.

Many audiences have responded feeling me to Val and her life as well as to interest in Brazilian society and issues of class.

1. The two titles? The focus on the mother? The question about the mother and her service?

2. The Brazilian film, slice of life, Brazilian culture, classes? The 21st-century perspective?

3. The city of San Paolo, the mansion, the grounds of the pool, the interiors, the poorer areas of the city, the views of the city? The musical score?

4. Val’s story? The imposing presence of Regina Case, her seeing herself as a maid, caring for everyone, for the son, over 10 years, the work, helping, the detailed collage of all her house work, the other workers and sharing with them, her timetable? Her interactions with Barbara, Carlos, Fabinho?

5. Her back story, leaving her husband, 10 years away, absence from Jessica, the years without contact, her visits, gifts, time between phone calls, her expressing more love for Fabinho than Jessica, Jessica’s arrival, at the airport, her unwillingness to go to the house?

6. Barbara, dominant, concerned about her appearance, her exercise and gym, television interview, a member of society, her birthday party, the guests and their not even thanking Val? Her relationship with her son, his willing to be expressive, but not embracing her? Her accident and the aftermath? Allowing Jessica to come, tolerating her, the room, but the experience of Jessica with the boys in the pool, saying there was a rat? Class distinctions? Jessica in the kitchen, breakfast? Barbara wanting her to go, cleaning the pool, Jessica and the exams, her son and his testing his answers, failing the exam, Val and her consolation, Barbara wondering about his not hugging her? Allowing Val to leave?

7. Carlos, quiet, sleeping in his room, silent, the strange proposal to Jessica and his saying it was a joke? Giving her the money gift? At the end, preferring to stay in bed?

8. Fabinho, his age, with Val as a little boy, being spoilt, baby-like, Val’s treatment of him, his going into her room for security? With Jessica, the pool? Going to the exam, his bad results, his weeping? His mother’s reaction, his thinking that she thought he was dumb? The decision to go to Australia?

9. Jessica, growing up, Val’s absence, Sandra looking after her, her clashes with her father? Val sending the money? The phone calls and the time between calls? Her arrival, assertive, the airport, the guest room, breakfast, eating Fabinho’s ice cream? Reactions, the room, packing, the prospective room and failing to get it, her return? On the floor, Barbara posting her? Jessica’s anger towards the family, class prejudices, her mother being humiliated? The exam, her doing very well? The revelation about Jorge, Val deciding to leave, going to stay with Jessica, to be a grandmother for the baby?

10. Val, the ingrained attitude towards being a servant, loyalties, decorum? The character, the past? A love for Fabinho? Her work, loyalty to Barbara, the birthday gift and Barbara’s discarding it? Meeting Jessica at the airport? Coping, not understanding her daughter, the mattress, the guest room, Jessica reprimanding her mother for not defending her? The exam, her joy and Jessica’s success? Going into the pool, leaving the phone message, playfully? The decision to leave? Taking the thermos and the cups? Moving, settling into the house – and looking after the baby as a loving grandmother?