THE STORY – A retired schoolteacher faces the death of her son, a bus driver who caused a tragedy by plunging off a viaduct. As the investigation suggests possible suicide, she seeks out the victims’ families to offer her apologies.
THE CAST – Rejane Faria, Maíra Azevedo, Renato Novaes, Giovanni Venturini, Giovanna Heliodoro, Grace Passô, Marisa Revert, Fernanda Vianna, Clébia Sousa, Fábio Leal, Docy Moreira, Carlos Francisco, Thalma de Freitas, Flavio Bauraqui, & Bárbara Colen
THE TEAM – Gabriel Martins (Director/Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 145 Minutes
Tragedy can happen to any one of us, at any time. In one pivotal moment from Gabriel Martins’ “On Behalf of My Son,” a woman named Isabel (Grace Passô) recites the words of her late 89-year-old mother, who was killed in a bus accident: “The only guarantees in life are death, and bills to pay at the end of the month.” Isabel speaks face to face with retired schoolteacher Vicentina (Rejane Faria), the bus driver’s mother. Their visceral, open-wound conversation reverberates through patient camerawork, sensitive writing, and an acting masterclass at its center. Rejane Faria delivers one of the year’s most devastating, introspective performances. Consumed by guilt and haunted by a sense of parental responsibility, Vicentina reaches out to more victims’ families to apologize on behalf of her son, searching for answers that may never come.
“Love is needed so one can pulse,” a standout lyric from the film’s gentle introductory song, sets the precedent for a story about what it means to be truly alive. We need to feel the emotions that we feel, and be present in the everyday, a mundanity so often taken for granted when tomorrow is not guaranteed. Set in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, the film’s opening moments concentrate on the eyes of Wesley (Renato Novaes), a driver steering a crowded bus downtown. The camera pans to reveal the passengers, each with a story to tell as they simply go about their lives. We then see the bustling city roads, expecting Wesley’s bus to enter the frame at any moment. Instead, it crashes onto the focal avenue from an overpass. Shockwaves reverberate from the accident site to the rings of phone calls and doorbells at Vicentina’s home, where her friend Joana (Maíra Azevedo) shares heartbreaking news.
“On Behalf of My Son” focuses intently on Vicentina in the immediate aftermath as she tries to wrap her head around this unimaginable tragedy. Not only has she lost her child, but the accident has led to mass casualties for which she feels responsible. She sits in the silence of darkened rooms while her television broadcasts CCTV footage and news reports about the tragedy. Without narcotics nor alcohol found in Wesley’s system, police investigations spark widespread theories as to whether his actions were premeditated. The film avoids answering questions from an interrogative perspective. We hear the news coverage only through glimpses on Vicentina’s television, and through speculative information overheard within the Belo Horizonte community.
Four years after his solo feature directorial debut, “Mars One,” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, Gabriel Martins returns with another thought-provoking Brazilian drama, centered on how sprawling, interwoven stories can create an intimate, nuanced character study. Martins’ approach makes for an incredibly gripping narrative of subjective tragedy. The film places you at the heart of Vicentina’s emotions and walks in her shoes. Uncertain whether Wesley was guilty, she acts on a pressing parental remorse that has become impossible to suppress. Vicentina decides to seek out the victims’ families and request meetings with them, one by one, to apologize on Wesley’s behalf for their lifelong devastation. Not everyone agrees to meet her, and those who do strike a powerful chord, speaking to the many ways people mourn.
How do we move forward after an unbearable loss? The film answers this question through an excellent ensemble cast. Each fully realized character Vicentina crosses paths with stands out for their humanity, and in how they personify different stages of grief. The standout encounter with Isabel (Passô) and her sister, Vera (Marisa Revert), shines with empathy. The sisters, who had been planning their mother’s 90th birthday and went ahead with the party, thank Vicentina for paying her respects by inviting her to the family celebration. It’s a moving depiction of how tragedy brings people together as they try to make sense of a new reality. The film uses several more character interactions to underscore that people need to feel what they feel. When Vicentina meets another family, Luiz (Flavio Bauraqui) meets her with animosity. He questions her apology and claims she has failed as a mother for raising a murderer. Whether it’s forgiveness or retribution, the varied perspectives build emotional depth around Vicentina’s character, played by an astounding Rejane Faria.
Following her role in “Mars One,” Faria reunites with Martins for a nuanced journey through grief-stricken motherhood. Through Faria’s commanding, understated performance, you feel every bit of the emotional burden Vicentina carries. An immense sadness behind her eyes speaks volumes about the character’s grief. Faria also delivers transformative work through layered makeup and measured physicality, adding to an immersive depiction. Faria’s transcendent performance brings a quietly intense staying power to the film. It’s a moving portrayal of reconciliation and resilience, as she finds her way towards an identity outside of the grieving shadows cast by her surroundings.
The film’s ensemble features stellar performances across the board. Maíra Azevedo brings heartfelt energy to Joana, whose love for Vicentina knows no limits. She’ll drop everything to make sure that Vicentina is okay, and will never give up on her. Their deftly written friendship builds towards a gorgeously constructed ending. Giovanni Venturini delivers sharp, contemplative work as Fred, who we learn was one of Wesley’s best friends. Fred lingers at the funeral, watches Vicentina’s home from a distance, and dials Wesley’s phone. His recurring presence motivates her to confront him, opening a window to Wesley’s musical ambitions that she hadn’t known about. Fred’s character offers patient insight into how everyone has a story about a lost loved one, and sometimes holds onto certain knowledge to keep a precious memory alive, working through what it means to them.
Leonardo Feliciano’s cinematography, coupled with the work of editors Gabriel Martins and Thiago Ricarte, pulls you directly into the character’s frame of mind. Impactful lingering shots of Vicentina in deep reflection make time to sit with her emotions. Martins also uses music poignantly in his film, with recurring soft guitar strums and harmonious songs that bookend the story. Considering the guitar in Wesley’s room and the narrative context that he wanted to be an artist, one can discern that perhaps it’s his voice singing these tunes, which makes this music all the more impactful.
Early in “On Behalf of My Son,” a reporter asks Vicentina for an exclusive interview, which we don’t see footage of until the film’s second half. As Vicentina watches this worldwide broadcast of herself, asking viewers to forgive her son, she abruptly switches off the television. Her reflection stares back at us, and it’s a stunning echo that this is her story. And because her perspective is told with such specificity and humanity, it becomes a universal story about the experiences that connect us all. Few things in life are certain. Sometimes, all we know is the love we have for someone, love that is powerful enough to steer us through the uncertain roads ahead.
