Better Days Ahead (1989) User Reviews

A Melancholic Romantic Comedy With Dreams of a Third-World Woman

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 20 March 2005]

In a Brazilian studio, where an American TV series is being dubbed to Portuguese, the middle-age Mary Mattos (Marília Pêra) dreams of becoming a Hollywood star. Her needy sentimental life is very complex: she lost her first love in a motorcycle accident, after making love with him; she has a married lover, Wallace (José Wilker), who promises to move with her to USA when his children are raised; and she has a brief affair with Pompeu (Paulo José), the director of the studio. Her best friend and neighbor is Dalila (Zezé Mota), who has an American boyfriend and pen pal. When Mary sees an advertisement in an American newspaper, looking for an actress with her profile, she decides to take a chance and move to USA.

"Dias Melhores Virão" is a melancholic romantic comedy, having more ups than downs, and mainly supported by a magnificent cast, highlighting the outstanding Marília Pêra, one of the best Brazilian actress. This film was awarded with many prizes, such as Best Actress and Screenplay in the Festival of Cartagena (1991), Special Prize of the Jury of the Festival of Denzer (1990), "Art et Essai" in the Festival of Biarritz (1990), Prêmio Sharp, among others. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Dias Melhores Virão" ("Better Days Will Come")

Remarkable movie by Cacá Diegues starred by Marília Pêra

[guisreis · 8/10 · 15 April 2023]

Very charming, funny, innovative and smart dramatic comedy by Cacá Diegues, with elements of dark humor, romantic comedy, comedy of manners full of irony, and even a slight surrealism. Casting is full of stars (Zezé Motta, José Wilker, Paulo José, Rita Lee!, Antonio Pedro, Paulo César Peréio, Jofre Soares...), with Marília Pêra having a great performance in the leading role, Marialva, a skilled but not young dubbing actress who has always been frustrated both in love and in her career. Art direction works very well too, bringing the world of cheap sitcoms to the big screen. Absurd situations make the film be very colorful, and the fact that the actress talks with and sees a dead former boyfriend and the TV series character she dubs is a very innovative one. Interesting mockery on problems of Rio de Janeiro and on Brazilian racism and bad police may also be highlighted. Besides that and perhaps even more important, the image Brazil had about itself as a problematic satellite country of the United States, also seeing the neighbors in Latin America as minor, is an element that is present throughout the story and is also significant in the end of the story. To resume, Marialva deserves a whole treaty about psychology and moral.