I was quite curious about Mãos No Fogo by Margarida Gil because of my interest in Portugal. Sadly, it was overall a disappointing experience, while offering beautiful cinematography.
The film moves very slowly without justifiable reasons, the acting is not convincing most of the time and the story disjointed. Some editing would have been good. I believe that sometimes too much artistic freedom results in not enough editing down of the material, as this slow pace and many unnecessary scenes happen quite often in art house cinema, as seen in film festivals like the Berlinale. And, unfortunately, often in Portuguese cinema too. In particular there were singing scenes in Mãos No Fogo, that I would have taken out and towards the end I was just hoping for the film to finish.
The film definitely felt like made by an older person, it is somehow very old-fashioned and lacks direction of the actors. The main actress just alternates the same expressions, with open mouth and her big glaring eyes.
This being said, the craft of filmmaking is clearly visible in other parts. The images are very, very beautiful, the cinematography is astonishing and Portugal just offers a special, magical charm. The inside of the old manor and its strange characters offered a lot of potential. The soundscapes also immerse you in the scenery of the old house and surrounding nature. Strong parts also included the more anthropological views about rural Portugal or social commentaries, like the scene that included a shopkeeper commenting on the infrastructure of the village.
Based on the log line, the film sounded very intriguing, and there was so much potential lying in the setting of the old Portuguese mansion. I believe, a fresher, maybe even younger approach would have been good.
