TRES VEROES/ THREE SUMMERS

Brazil, 2019, 94 minutes, Colour.

Regina Case, Rogerio Froes, Gisele Froes.

Directed by Sandra Kogut,

The three summers are those of 2015, 2016, 2017 leading up to New Year’s Eve for 2018. The setting is the coastal city in Brazil, with the combination in Rio.

This is an entertaining film and the credit goes (apart from the screenwriter and the director) to the star, Regina Case, a veteran of Brazilian cinema and television, certainly a larger-than-life personality on screen, coming into her mid-50s at the time of the making of this film. She is immediately engaging, capturing our attention, even affection.

She is the housekeeper, Mada taken away for interrogation, the staff upset, no pay. But, the ever-inventive Mada works are quite a number of solutions, first of all the staff enjoying this stocked food for an intended party,, arranging land of his garage sales…

So, what can there be in the third summer? Actually, that something of an anti-climax, a great deal of attention is given to the filming of a commercial program in the house, one of Mada’s brainwaves (along with a rather revived Lira) to make the house available for a kind of AirBnB. While this is amusing, and, eventually, Mada has to take a central role though is, initially, surprisingly ineffectual, she does win through.

But, on the principle that good things come to those who wait, Mada and the staff do come into eventual good fortune, celebrating in Rio on New Year’s Eve, high hopes for 2018.

Easy entertainment, an engaging central performance, a lively supporting cast, and quite some implicit/explicit criticism of corruption amongst the upper classes, widespread fraud, in Brazilian society.

1. A Brazilian story? Universal appeal? Characters? Issues?
2. The coastal setting, the sea, the beaches, the cliffs? The home, lavish interiors, artwork? The swimming pool? The contrast with Mada’s kiosk? The musical score? Moonlight Sonata?
3. The structure of the film, the focus on the three summers, 2015, 2016, 2017 and New Year’s Eve for 2018?
4. The effect of the structure, the episodes at each December, the audience supplying what went on in between?
5. 2015, the focus on the wealthy, the party, the guests, the artwork? The servants and their work behind the scenes? Mada and her running the household? The contrast with 2016, the revelation of the fraud, wife and son escaping, husband in jail? His father? The focus on the servants and their reactions? Issues of pay? The kiosk? Blocked? Police investigations? garage sales? 2017, the plans for the servants to survive, B&B, Mada and her collaboration with Lira? The making of the film? The move to Rio? The new apartment, New Year’s Eve, the fireworks, hopes for the New Year?
6. Regina Case as Mada, her age, appearance, housekeeper? Her dominant presence? Audiences warming to her? Her continual joy? Liveliness? The detailed managing of the house? The initial party and the preparations? The kitchen, the servants? The preparations and decorations, technical? Upkeep? Her own story and wanting the money for the land for the kiosk, her ambitions? Her familiarity with things online, photos, films, sales, Instagram…? Audiences identifying with her? And the “downstairs” staff?
7. A year later, still exuberant, but the shock of the police arriving, the food ordered and the disappearance of Marta, the work of the servants, preparation, cancellations? The response to the police, Mada driven off, the questions about her funds, Edgar buying her phone after previously giving her the money for the kiosk, the phones in her name? Her coping with the difficulties? The food, the servants enjoying it? The sales, the customers? The kiosk and the barrier in front of it?
8. The importance of Lira? Seen at the beach with his son, the flowers on the water, in memory? His age, weakened state? The support of his son? Trying to persuade him to come down and see the video of his wife teaching his grandson piano? Gradually coming? His disillusionment with his son’s arrest, that he was a thief, his memory of reading his son books but his son not interested? Irritated by Mada? Relying on her? The scenes of the beach with the flowers and making wishes? His moving to Rio? His gradually coming to terms with what happened? The year passing, his still being in the house, the flowers in the water? The discussions with Mada, knowledge of the Internet, born too early! Their work for the planning of the B&B? His death and the pathos?
9. The portrait of the wealthy, Edgar at the party, his father, alienation from his wife, pride in his son? On the phone, the deals? Arrested, in jail? His wife, her snobbery, the artwork, giving away her clothes to Mada? Leaving with her son and disappearing?
10. Making the film, the actor and his awkwardness with his lines? The setup, the couple and the talk about Christmas, the little girl, the director and his exasperation, the continuity girl, make up and costumes? The snow? The decision to cast Mada, the wardrobe? Talking to camera, mistaking her lines, the others encouraging her? Eventually her success in telling such a sad story?
11. The staff in the house, the young women, their work, not paid, their exuberance, friendship with Mada? Emerson and his technical work, going for the swim? Eliseo and finance? The other members of the staff?
12. The issues of finance, the move to Rio, the death of Lira, Mada inheriting his apartment?
13. An invitation for the audience to go to Brazil, share the sunshine in Christmas, share the exuberance, be aware of the widespread financial corruption and its consequences?