August Winds (Gabriel Mascaro, 2014): Brazil

Reviewed by Rebeca Forward. Viewed at the AFIFest 2014.

The Portuguese movie that takes place in Brazil and directed by Gabriele Mascaro is a really provocative movie, but still makes one admire the beautiful landscape of Brazil. Less talking more showing. The movie shows the two main characters Shirley and Jeison who live and work on a plantation in a small village. They still find time to sneak away and have sex on top of the coconuts. There are a few scenes shown on a boat were she is lying, naked and refreshes her body with a can of coka cola that she’s rubbing into her body. Meanwhile Jeison dives in the ocean and one time he finds the head of a skeleton.

The sound of the wind is captured really good and it looked kind of ironic, having a man there that captured the wind, when you heard the name of the movie before. I made me think if that’s “August”.

The small village is really portrayed in its beauty itself but the provoking sex scenes and the found of the death body of an old man gives it a slightly interesting tension that won’t let go of you during the whole movie. The quality of the camera was still good and it was interesting to see how the work on a coconut plant is done. The sex scene on the coconut does not promote my liking for coconuts after this movie I would refuse to drink or eat them at all.

The movie is more for people who are in their mid 30ties and admire the nature. However, this movie wasn’t my cup of tea.