The
year is 1951, forty-year old American poet Elizabeth Bishop is stricken with
writer’s block. She receives an invitation to visit Mary, a Vassar College friend living in Brazil. Elizabeth travels from her home in New York by ship to Brazil. She is hoping to find inspiration in another country. She feels very uncomfortable in the
beginning and wants to stay at a hotel instead and take the first boat leaving
Brazil. Mary is living with the architect Lota de Macedo Soares. Lota is intrigued by the shyness and
reserve of Elizabeth but they are polar opposites in attitude and
temperament. Lota tries to
persuade Elizabeth to stay but she refuses. On a sudden impulse, Elizabeth eats fruit from the
breakfast table while Lota and Mary are outside. She doesn’t realize the fruit is a cashew and she is allergic
to nuts. Elizabeth stays overnight
in the local hospital and she has no choice but to stay longer with Lota and
Mary. She will not be able to take
another boat for three weeks.
Surprisingly, she remains in Rio for 15 years.
This
film is based on a book by Carmen L. Oliveira, Rare and Commonplace
Flowers. Elizabeth Bishop won a
Pulitzer Prize in 1956. I thought
this was enjoyable, the scenery is very beautiful and the acting is good. I had not heard of Bishop and Soares
before watching this film. 4* (I
really liked this movie) (I’m surprised about the low reviews?)
118
min, Bio directed by Bruno Barreto with Gloria Pires, Miranda Otto, Tracy
Middendorf, Marcello Airoldi, Lola Kirke, Tania Costa, Marianna Mac Niven.
Note: Imdb 6.8 of 10, 27% critic 74%
audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 2*.
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