Aquarius

A highlight of this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Kleber Mendonça Filho’s follow-up to his acclaimed Neighboring Sounds revolves around the leisurely days of a 65-year-old widow, transcendently played by the great Brazilian actress Sônia Braga. Clara is a retired music critic and the only remaining resident of the titular apartment building in Recife. Trouble starts when an ambitious real estate promoter who has bought up all of Aquarius’s other units comes knocking on Clara’s door. She has no intention of leaving, and a protracted struggle ensues. Braga’s transfixing, multilayered performance and the film’s deliberate pacing and stylistic flourishes yield a sophisticated, political, and humane work. A Vitagraph Films release.

Catch free NYFF Live talks with Sônia Braga and Kleber Mendonça Filho on 10/10 at 7:00pm and Kleber Mendonça Filho at Film Comment Live: Filmmakers Chat on 10/8 at 7:00pm.