Lisbon, Portugal, 2010. Pilar, a pious woman devoted to social causes, maintains a peculiar relationship with her neighbor Aurora, a temperamental old woman obsessed with gambling who lives tormented by a mysterious past.
Portuguese director Miguel Gomes' latest film moves through different styles and eras, and proves that shooting in black and white is as versatile as it ever was.
– Farran Smith Nehme,
New York Post,
28 Dec 2012
rotten:
The audience is left to imagine much of the story, though it is clear it involves love, betrayal, guilt, regret and a recurring crocodile.
– Betsy Sharkey,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Jan 2013
fresh:
A kind of jigsaw puzzle, spiced up with references to "White Mischief," "Out of Africa" and "The Snows of Kilimanjaro," that will frustrate some audiences and fascinate others.
– John Hartl,
Seattle Times,
7 Feb 2013
fresh:
It almost seems a parody of willfully obscure art-house fare. Yet it has an undertow that sucks you in as often as it strands you back on shore.
– Ty Burr,
Boston Globe,
14 Feb 2013
fresh:
It takes a while to get to the meat of the movie, but it's well worth the wait.