Good Manners

Some fantasy movies come and go leaving no trace in our brains, whereas some film comes which make our brain twist and make us dig deeper by combining fiction with real-world complexities. Good Manners (As Boas Maneiras) belongs to the latter group. This movie deals with the werewolf mythology and the impacts on it in our daily lives. It tells the story of Clara, a mysterious nurse who is hired by a wealthy woman named Ana. Clara is responsible for taking care of the pregnant Ana, and the movie is centered on these characters. Written and directed by Brazilians Marco Dutra and Juliana Rojas, Good Manners is horror drama movie that continually evolves and keeps the audiences glued to their sits for nearly two hours (Weissberg).

Dark skinned Clara is an independent, self-possessed woman who is nervous when she is called by wealthy Ana who isn’t impressed by Clara in the beginning but hires her as her maid. The two women are opposite in nature and symbolize duality. Clara is a strong, cautious, introverted, lone but is broke and in need of a job. Ana is 29 years old who is from a wealthy family. She is selfish and impulsive. The difference in between the women is used to symbolize class difference that is present in the Brazilian society. However, the two form a special bond and become friends and lovers as they get to know each other. It is revealed from the beginning that the nature of Ana’s pregnancy is highly unusual. She develops a strong appetite for meat and even kills local pets to satisfy her hunger. At around one hour into the movie, we witness a gruesome childbirth where Ana’s child rips open her abdomen killing her. Claire who is emotionally attached to Ana takes the baby herself to raise him.

The movie fasts forward itself seven years into the future, and the werewolf drama begins. Clara is still an independent woman living in the same apartment with young Joel. She has everything under her control except on a full moon night when she has to chain Joel in a hidden room from protecting herself and others.  Her love is pure and protective, and she has raised the boy a vegetarian, but Joel questions her restrictions and also inquires about his parentage.

Good Manner is an ambitious work both in scope and design influenced by dark horror tales (Ide). It is genre-defying and uses mythology of werewolves as a lens to view the real Brazilian society. It is thematically wealthy and the first hour of the money is strongest with excellent works from the actors and the teams involved. The 2^nd half feels a little bit drawn out, but this unexpected film surely is a wonderful piece of art throughout its run time.