Vai~E~Vem (2003)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

João César Monteiro

Writer:

João César Monteiro (scenario and dialogue)

Release Date:

3 June 2003 (Portugal)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot Keywords:

Bus | Circular Traveling | Satire | Film Within A Film | Old Man

Awards:

1 win

Cast

João César Monteiro	...	João Vuvu
Rita Pereira Marques	...	Adriana / Urraca
Joaquina Chicau	...	Custódia
Manuela de Freitas	...	Fausta
Ligia Soares	...	Narcisa (as Lígia Soares)
José Mora Ramos	...	M. Zé Aniceto
Rita Durão	...	Jacinta
Maria Do Carmo Rôlo	...	Bárbara
Miguel Borges	...	Jorge Varela Vuvu
Rita Loureiro	...	Marina
Ana Isabel Strindberg
Tiago Diaz	...	Mudo do Acordeão
Ana Brandão	...	Eva Sigar
Rui Luís	...	Padre
Vítor Silva Tavares

Also Known As:

Come and Go (International: English title)
Coming and Going (International: English title)
Va et vient (France)
Vai e Vem (Portugal) (DVD title)

Runtime:

Portugal:179 min

Country:

Portugal | France

Language:

Portuguese | Ukrainian | Spanish | Latin | Greek

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Portugal:M/16

Filming Locations:

Príncipe Real Plaza, Lisbon, Portugal

Company:

Madragoa Filmes

Goofs:

Continuity: When speaking with policewoman Bárbara, João smashes and throws an empty pack of cigarettes to the floor, and it rolls under the table. After opening the door to let Jorge in, João returns to the table starting a new cigarette and there is no empty pack under it.

Movie Connections:

References Gone with the Wind (1939)

Soundtrack:

Motete Qui Habitat

monumentally boring and painfully long

This movie is a complete waste of time. The whole thing consists of endless static shots of the writer/director/star, Monteiro, spouting witty sounding or profound sounding gibberish.

Every now and then Monteiro minces around, quasi-adorably, like a wizened little Portuguese Nosferatu.

To sustain audience interest and to presumably show what exquisite taste he has, Monteiro places a young nubile Latina hottie in the shot, and allows her to listen in rapt attention while he spouts off endlessly. All I can say is, I certainly hope she was paid well for what must surely have been the sheerest torture.

The only redeeming qualities to this film were a couple nice musical numbers on the soundtrack and the beautiful outside location shots of Lisbon.

I've seen one other of Monteiro's movies, "God's Comedy", and that had similar problems, but not as bad as "Vai E Vem".

Much is made of the fact that this was Monteiro's last film before he died in 2003. It seems pretty clear from the hugely self absorbed and self indulgent character of this film that it constitutes more of a curse than a blessing on the world he was leaving behind.