The Second Mother

Filmmaker Anna Muylaert's dramedy features a remarkably nuanced performance by Regina Casé as Val, a housekeeper who has lived for years with employers Barbara (Karine Teles) and Carlos (Lourenço Mutarelli) in their elegant São Paolo home—virtually becoming a surrogate mother to the couple's son, Fabinho (Michel Joelsas), who she is still coddling as a handsome teen about to take his university entrance exam. But Val has an estranged daughter of her own named Jessica (Camila Márdila), who was brought up by her husband in their rural hometown and is now coming to the city to take her test as well. Val's employers agree to let the girl stay with them until Val can find an apartment, but Jessica's presence naturally alters the situation radically. A modern, confident young woman who refuses to follow in her mother's submissive footsteps, Jessica irritates Barbara, but Carlos is immediately smitten. The Second Mother essentially tells a tale of class and generational change, serving up a five-person microcosm of what is happening in contemporary Brazil. But this is no mere sociological treatise, thanks to the rich characters—especially Val, played by Casé with a marvelous mix of humor and pathos. Highly recommended. (F. Swietek)