Viajo Porque Preciso, Volto Porque te Amo (2009) Reviews

• Intriguing concept let down by staid execution

  slaytonbourdon2012-04-11

  This unique Brazilian film tells a story in the first-person, through still photos, POV shots, flashbacks, cutaways that follow a subjective train of thought and an omnipresent voice-over. The plot details a geologist studying a remote region of Northern Brazil after a traumatic breakup with is girlfriend. At first we (and he) focus on the procedural element of his job but the desolate landscape begins to stir something inside of him and ultimately the structure of the film takes on a subjective fantasy-memory-reality dynamic. The film is put together like a collage of memories and observations, and Irandhir Santos provides a tremendously evocative voice-over that exudes heartbreak and pain even if you don't speak Portuguese. But the 'road movie through the soul' structure never really finds anything to counterbalance its inherent repetitiveness and by 2/3 through this quite short film it becomes pretty exasperating to watch - plus the ending seems like a copout, a 'live-life-to-the-fullest' message that is far too pat for a story so deeply concerned with heartache.

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• Original idea, wonderfully done.

  runamokprods2014-01-24

  A semi experimental film that recalls Chantal Akerman's portraits of places, but here a narrative has been added on top. An unseen geologist is telling the story (writing in a diary?) of his trip to look for a place to build a canal in northern Brazil. But as he goes along he is haunted by thoughts his love waiting back home – his desire to get back to her, and his desire to flee. We see the only super 8 films and videos he takes as he goes along, revealing landscapes, rocks, human faces and bodies. There's a gentle poetic sadness to it all that keeps a consistent, quiet, but never dull mood. Very approachable as 'experimental' films go, it captures feelings many of us have had while traveling for work – the wonderful freedom, the terrible loneliness. Sadly, despite much looking, I've never been able to find a DVD with English subtitles. But there is a subscription site called fandor.com that does have the film for streaming with English subs.

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• an enjoyable experience

  yaya1199772015-04-04

  I believe I made the right choice to go and watch this film. Recently I have been watching more and more documentaries and I am enjoying most of them. This film in particular falls, for me, in an area between the common documentary are and road trip films and drama films as well. The simple idea of the traveller for a long way reaching the roots of a soon to be dug canal has a great matching or impact on the story of his life. It was so well done to use this as an entry to find the roots of Un explored areas of a big country. The film takes the audience not only to different places but to different feelings and emotions and people. I think everyone cam relate to part of this journey as a part of his life. One more brilliant things about this film is the perfect matching of using different filming techniques weather the cinematic open scenes or the close ups with video camera or the hand ever shaky one or the regular still shots with photo camera as each was implemented in the right way and it actually gave the film a nice changing tempo. I recommend this movie for viewers who are interested in cinematic language as it is rich in it. Also watching it needs a clear mind so try to clear your mind before watching it cause it sure deserve to be watched.

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