KAREN SZTAJNBERG

CASA GRANDE
Starring Marcello Novaes, Suzana Pires and Thales Cavalcanti. Directed by Fellipe Barbosa.

An impressive and personal debut feature, Casa Grande, is a vibrant and layered coming-of-age tale set within Rio de Janeiro's social elite. Jean is a teenager who has grown up in a life of privilege in a large mansion, cushioned from hardship by his over-protective parents. He has deep relationships with the staff: a driver and two housekeepers, one of whom he constantly tries to bed. Preoccupied with girls and clubbing, Jean is unaware that his father has lost virtually all his money, making the status quo unsustainable. As the staff gradually leave, Jean is left adrift, and a new relationship with a mixed-race girl from a different social strata forces Jean to contemplate race, class and the very foundations of his society. Gentle and insightful, Casa Grande establishes Fellipe Barbosa as a very promising talent.

REVIEWS Casa Grande - Problemas familiares no Brasil