THE PORTUGUESE SHORTLIST: "Vitalina Varela" (and review)

The Portuguese Academy of Cinema (Academia Portuguesa de Cinema) has announced the finalists shortlist of Portuguese movies to be submitted for the Best International Film Oscar category: Pedro Costa's Vitalina Varela; Ana Rocha de Sousa's Listen; João Nuno Pinto's Mosquito; and Gonçalo Waddington's Patrick. One of them will be the official submission.

Four very different movies and I still have one left to watch - Patrick - but I consider 2020 to be one of the strongest years (if not the strongest) in terms of Portuguese final shortlist.

Let's have a look at Pedro Costa's Vitalina Varela:

A Cape Verdean woman navigates her way through Lisbon, following the scanty physical traces her deceased husband left behind and discovering his secret, illicit life. (source IMDb)

FLASH REVIEW: Pedro Costa seems to be back to his previous film Horse Money's universe - our lead's (Vitalina Varela) fate crosses Ventura's as she discovers about the life of her deceased husband. Vitalina Varela plays... Vitalina Varela, but you don't see a woman playing herself. In fact, Varela (the actress) seems to create a on-screen persona who's the human emboidment of sadness and saudade! Nothing on her feels unnatural: her moves, her gaze, her tears...! Plus, she's beautiful to watch and she's a magnetic on-screen presence. Few actresses would be able to be so effective with so little to say, but Varela seems to be made for the camera and Costa knows how to capture his leading lady's most subtle emotions. Praised be Pedro Costa for finding the right actress for this role. Praised be Pedro Costa for the movie's haunting beauty (mostly due to Leonardo Simões amazing cinemtography work). Praised be Pedro Costa for this arthouse masterpiece. Vitalina Varela is a director's best work and a cinematic gem!

RATING: 5 / 5

My personal favorite from the Portuguese shortlist.

I believe the Portuguese Academy of Cinema will take the right decision and send Vitalina Varela for the AMPAS. More than a potential Best International Film contender, Vitalina Varela might well do well with American critics association awards, which would boost its Oscar hopes.

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