Jdidalot It's a movie that doesn't have a lot happening but is so emotionally intense that it keeps you on the edge of your seat. It's so well done, with attention to every detail to sympathize with the Mario character (the gray tone of the picture, the blue hope of the daughter's coat, the gloomy and rainy city, the indifference from the crowd/ people, the isolation of the suffering character, even Mario's fake smile when he acts on stage...). I would like to respond to a question that one of the reviewer asked (essbcn from Barcelona), regarding the Lewis Carroll's quote at the end of the movie. Of course, this is only what I believe and shouldn't be seen as "The" only explanation. Marco Martins, the movie director, refers twice to Lewis Carroll's "Alice's adventures in wonderland".The first time, when Mario walks by a wall with drawings of the White Rabbit carrying his pocket watch (note that the drawing repeats itself), it symbolizes Mario racing against time and repeating on the daily basis the same actions of a fruitless search (nursery school, suit cleaning, changing and watching tapes, acting in the theater play, walking the city….and so on). The second time, in the movie credits with the quote: "but the wells of fantasy always end up by draining and the tired storyteller tried to escape as he could; tomorrow the rest – it's already tomorrow!" "The wells of fantasy always end up by draining": the fantasy is nothing else than Mario's hope of finding his daughter and the wells are all the possible ways (such as tapes, pamphlets, walking in the city and so on...) that he uses to feed his hope. It's a hope which is drained and dying on a daily basis just to be reborn and replete the following day. "and the tired storyteller tried to escape as he could;": the tired storyteller is Mario who tries to escape the insanity of this fantasy. Knowing that the reality is obscure, he tries to grab on what's left of his sanity to keep on with his search and the hope of finding his daughter."tomorrow the rest – it's already tomorrow": There is no more today or tomorrow for Mario, since the search is the only reality that he knows. But it means too, that the hope is always there.

Jo Tom Yep, here's comes another Portuguese Tsai Ming-Liang... Another guy that thinks it's pretty cool to make a whole movie out of two pages of dialogue; that believes that rainy days, blue-tinted cinematography, Satie-like piano and the constant droning of passing cars and passing trains are an original way of expressing the anguish of modern urban existence; that pointless boredom, however well filmed (as indeed it was) can ever be something different than pointless boredom. What is truly absent in this movie, besides poor little Alice, is a story, as ever that detail that is never allowed to get in the way of the Big Ideas, Big Characters and Big Images of our filmmakers (except João Canijo, that at least makes the effort of riping-off Shakespeare). All the artistry in the world cannot save such an empty, empty, object.

dreidu The movies is great in all the point that Jorge TC mentioned. but still the movies is way to long and boring, nice soundtrack no doubt, but too much Manoel DE Oliveira wannabe. A good performance by the father, the girl in the shoe store was so pretty. The film is very sad and i think it was very oriented to the story of a Portuguese kid that disappeared and is parents say he was kidnapped. The film is made using some unknown Portuguese actors in the main parts but some more experimented felling the blanks. Not a bad acting and a sad story, to bad for the really slowing pace of the movie. If you liked this movie you really gonna like "Um Tiro No Escuro", way better movie.

Jorge TC I'm not a big fan of Portuguese movies but this was a step in the right direction for Portuguese cinema. It was shot with great detail and mastery, showing an image with a quality comparable to any Hollywood movie. However the photography was above the average of any typical Hollywood movie for it showed such special care which resulted in an involving touching experience. The soundtrack was very good too and very adequate. It was simple and effective helping to create an environment of deep sadness and anxiety. The plot is very simple and you can figure it out in the first 5 minutes, however this movie isn't about the story, it's about feelings and it is in that sense that I think it deserves, at least, 7 out of 10. The feelings of sadness, anxiety, hope and love are the main theme of this movie, and they are passed on to the viewer in such a sublime way that at the end of the movie you feel you ... (you'll just have to see it) What I tell you is that it's impossible to feel indifferent with this movie.Only reason I didn't give it a better rate is very personal, I just don't like depressing movies...and this movies does push the same button a little too much.