Dom

There's a big question here: what audience was "Dom" made for? What's the point of "modernizing" one of the greatest novels by the all-time best Brazilian writer, bastardizing it beyond recognition with the lame pretext of "making it easy for the ordinary public", while slyly throwing in soft-core erotica to "spice it up"? Well, that's exactly what "Dom" does do Machado de Assis' masterpiece "Dom Casmurro" (published in 1900), with abhorrent, revolting consequences. When you watch the umpteenth wet kiss between Marcos Palmeira (who gets to show his behind as well) and Maria Fernanda Cândido (who doesn't), when you hear the dialog "translated" to everyday babbling, you know that doing justice to Machado's book was completely alien to the film's agenda.

The film rips off ONE of the themes of the novel -- Bento's irrational jealousy of his wife Capitu (renamed Ana in the film), who may or may not be unfaithful to him -- achieving the incredible feat of making it look like a TV soap opera (which is the filmmakers' obvious aesthetic paradigm). "Dom" LOOKS like soap opera (what about that flat lighting and awful set decoration!!); it SOUNDS like soap opera (the dialog is so common it hurts); it's PERFORMED like soap opera (with that sort of "phony naturalism" which is, of course, a contradiction in terms); it's DIRECTED like soap opera (it's all close-ups and talk talk talk, no action, no backdrops, everything's flat and lifeless); and it's aimed at the VERY SAME audience who watch soap operas -- who, in this case, wisely sensed the smell of turkey and stayed home, making the film a box-office flop.

Embarrassing all the way, "Dom" is the kind of film that raises a lot of other mysterious questions: If the idea was to bowdlerize the novel and make it look like TV, WHY make a film out of it? Why not make a TV series or a soap opera? HOW did they manage to raise money for this film? Mysteries, mysteries...The only comforting news is to know that it flunked, hopefully warning future directors/producers of this kind of transvestite junk to think twice before perpetrating literary rapes like this.

Do yourself a big favor and skip this one; if you wan't to see a reasonable adaptation of Machado de Assis (who's never been very lucky with movies based on his oeuvre), watch André Klotzel's flawed but imaginative "Memórias Póstumas" (2001) or Júlio Bressane's "unfaithful" but very creative "Brás Cubas" (1985). Or, much better still, read "Dom Casmurro" and marvel at Machado's wit, irony, style and timeless artistry.

When Ana walks past Bento in a crowded room, he immediately recognizes her. He sees the girl that she once was and the woman that she's become. He remembers how they'd promised to love and marry each other. Somehow that never happened. But when they see each other again, they fall in love again. It's passionate and explosive and soon, they get married and have a beautiful baby boy.

Things are perfect and blissful, but unfortunately their happiness doesn't last long. Bento is struck with seeds of unreasonable jealousy when he sees how well his best friend, Miguel, and Ana get along. Thinking that the two have a secret relationship going on, his loving behavior changes towards Ana and he even doubts that he is the father of their child.

This is a very interesting story of love and a relationship spoiled by distrust. Marcos Palmeira, as Bento, plays this jealous character so well. It was fascinating to see him first as a happy, confident man and then slowly turn into someone who lets his insecurities eat away at him, so that he hurts the woman he loves and destroys their marriage. I wanted so much to reach through the screen and shake some sense into him for his behavior. Maria Fernanda Cândido gives a good performance as Ana, the wife who loves her husband and has a hard time understanding his behavior. Bruno Garcia plays Miguel, the good friend.

The film is inspired by the work of 19th century Brazilian author Brazilian author Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis called Dom Casmurro.

Ok, the movie has some moments: Maria Fernanda Candido is a good actress, and she tries to do a good job- and does it in the most time she is on screen. But it´s montage sucks- man, they really manage to do things even worst than Xuxa Meneghel´s movies. The special participation of a brasilian band (Capital Inicial) is, in "Dom", just as good as KLB (a teen band) apeared in "Xuxa Requebra"- for they who havent watched any of the two movies, imagine that the director just decided to stop to tell his story, and decide to show a band plaing. After a few minutes, he decide to go back and tell his story once again, and begins it from the beggining. Marcos Palmeira is just as good as in "Como ser solteiro"- what wanna means, irritant. The good moments are proporcioned for Maria Fernanda Candido (that´s her first movie) and Bruno Garcia- and they would saved the movie, if the both have a few more minutes together on screen...

I think that the problem with this movie is that everybody on the production worked in the divulgation saing that "Dom" was a Machado de Assis´s "Dom Casmuro"´s adaptation, and, in the very first minutes, its quite evident for the audience that "Dom" it´s not a straight adaptation from the book.

The book its great- come on, Assis is the best writer in the whole world, followed directelly by Hemingway. So, to adapt anything that he (or else, THEY) had write is not a easy thing to do.

From Assis, I have enjoyed André Klotzel´s work in "Memórias Póstumas"- THAT is a adaptation, a a very good adaptation. But this "Dom" is a lot of bullsh*t- and it would be a nice movie if the director decided to get away from the book´s shadow- what hasn´t happened.

I thought the dialogue and lines were very kitsch and corny... as was the acting. Maria Fernanda the only exception. I only enjoyed a bit the movie because we kept joking about the main character's plight. Very weak. 5 in 10.

I cannot recommend this film... unless your a fan of the main actress.