Tata Amaral's "Viver a Vida" ("To Live Life") is a urban tale of sorts with its poignant story about the day in the life of a streetwise office boy trying to make ends meet on the giant city of São Paulo, at times doing his work but other times trying to be a wise guy who spends his boss money on fun and games.
While parts of the film are dated in 30 years, the obstacles faced by the leading character are still common place these days such as the loud crowd of the city; sexual harassment on public transportation; cat-calling; bossy people; bureacracy and violence in the streets. It's a realistic slap in the face of society with some moments of humor.
Our hero isn't a good one. He cheats, lies and spends more time having a good time than doing his job on time. But as later he discovers life has its way to adjust things and karma is a constant. And with almost everything he does or the people he meets there's always something funny or amusing going on.
This is one of Amaral's earliest films and since I haven't seen any of her works now I'm more than inclined in watching her other shorts and features. I was impressed with everything presented here, a quality work that presents life as it is and how people finds a way to survive the harsh realities of living in a big city. It's a relevant film now and it'll be for days to come. 9/10.
