I sometimes talk about how important Brazil was to my passion for film. Well, a decade ago I saw this in the theater and learned that movies didn’t have to be about story. It’s still a glorious excessive journey through genres and styles, held together by Denis Lavant and Édith Scob. I appreciated her performance more this time around. Lavant is brilliant in transformation after transformation, symbolizing both actor and director. She’s the audience, always watching him, worrying.

Despite Mr. Oscar’s growing weariness, there’s no doubt that the art is worth it. It changes lives, as Lavant comes out and says in his last line. The awareness of history is so good; Lavant and Piccoli discussing the art was lovely. The other engine in this is the nature of human connection — artificial or otherwise — and how we connect through art.

I love this movie unreasonably. 

Boofest 2025: connected to Millennium Actress by the magic of movies. What a triple bill these last three have been.