Sônia Braga spent almost twenty years working in Portuguese TV and film; becoming a household name. After the success of Kiss of the Spider Woman, she left her native Brazil and moved to America to pursue her career. Along with Kiss…, Braga received Golden Globe nominations for her roles in Moon over Parador and The Burning Season. Her latest film, Aquarius, sees Braga give her greatest performance to date.
Clara (Braga) is a retired writer who lives in the Aquarius apartment building in Recife. She’s unique as she’s the only remaining resident. Everyone else has sold up to a local property developer and moved out. Clara refuses to leave as her home contains decades of precious familial memories. After it becomes evidence she’s never going to change her mind, the proprietor’s grandson Diego (Humberto Carrão) starts a campaign of harassment against Clara, in an attempt to force her out.
Aquarius is all about the performance of Braga and she’s like an unstoppable force of nature. Director Kleber Mendonça Filho revolves the story around Clara. She’s encircled by an impressive cast playing friends and family. At over two hours, the pacing feels perfect. Enough time to allow us to get to know Clara without ever overstaying its welcome. Aquarius is a politically motivated David and Goliath drama which gives Braga the platform to shine.
Aquarius is released on DVD and Blu-ray by Arrow Academy on Monday 17 July.
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