The Edge of Democracy (2019) Reviews

• Another great work by Petra Costa

  adacunhapora2019-06-21

  Petra Costa is perhaps the best documentary director in Brazil. Her debut is the masterpiece Elena, a very personal look to her sister. The Edge of the Democracy, her third feature, is another kind a monster. A political one, to be exat, in which she narrates the oddly "democratic" impeachment of president Dilma Roussef. Costa's talent is to make simple footage (either from stock and original shots) into sheer cinematic strenght. A rare gift, I might add.

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• A great review of our history, although not a imparcial one

  aquelelucca2019-06-19

  It's beautiful to get to see a brazilian-produced documentary about brazilians, made with such responsible care throughout decades of filming. What lacks in this film, I think, are basically two things. Not in production or structure, in any way, but in narrative. At the same time that Petra's perspective of brazilian society adds to the experience of the movie, like her interesting backstory and presence in important political moments (awesomely shown), I feel like a certain degree of a clearer impartiality would really benefit the story that is told. Of course that, being a personal telling of Brazil's history like this movie is, will inevitably include opinions, which are fairly presented. But I can't help but to think that watching a little more of the other side of the political scandals, against the subjects of the film for example, would really be of benefit - not only to the movie to be it's best and completest version it can be (by showing how complicated "choosing a side" can be), but concomitantly inviting a wider public that can watch and rate it fairly, and discuss more easily by having both sides widely expressed. The second lacking, in a way, is the proposal of many unanswered questions. Probably it is intentional. Maybe by the fact that the story told in this documentary isn't yet completed in reality, and most of the questions are still unanswerable today; or maybe because of the willingness of the director to portray this political scenery in a personal way, proposing that the narrator wants to show it hasn't means to respond to what will happen. Either way, some answers would enrich, I think, the narrative. Being a Brazilian myself, with a burning love for cinema, getting impressed by the quality of filmmaking and real moments, portrayed in a production from where I come from, was a really awesome feeling - although this film has a bit too much filming of Brasilia's buildings and beauty-shots. The technical aspects of the film are impressive, even more by the content of rare moments of our recent history - a feeling of "being there" I don't get since watching Poitras' Academy-awarded "Citizenfour". It's really worth it to watch this film, even if you disagree with the points presented. To admire the handling of a great filmmaker, that has great patience and structure to tell a great perspective. This movie is a bright sign in the future of brazilian cinema.

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• Great

  fhenrike2019-06-20

  Haters gonna hate. Some people that are rating with the lowest score (I bet most of them didn't even watched the film) just make the point for the foreign audience of how polarized Brazil it is right now. Petra did a great job by condensed the political situation of the country from the last decade with her personal and also analytical view.

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• With real scenes it coundn't be fake news

  esantosbravo2019-06-25

  The movie shows the underground, the backstage of the last years of political Brazilian scenario. The journalist that directed the documentary correlates facts, interviews, historical news in a way that we can conclude that it was a coup. Like senator in a legal and official phone call recorded by federals: "we need a great national agreement". If you decide to watch, take your conclusion. Enjoy the movie, it's a good one.

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• Great piece of art

  rb_godoy2019-06-19

  Besides providing a precise picture of Brazil's political crisis this movie is very touching and well produced. Great historical material.