Flores Raras (2013)

Flores Raras (2013). 1h 58m | Not Rated

“The Brazilian movie Flores Raras was shown in the United States with the title Reaching for the Moon (2013). It was directed by Bruno Barreto.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe film is based on the life of the great American poet, Elizabeth Bishop (Miranda Otto). As the movie begins, Elizabeth is traveling in Brazil, and visits the estate of the famous architect Lota de Macedo Soares, played by Glória Pires. Lota is in a lesbian relationship with Bishopu0026#39;s college friend Mary (Tracy Middendorf).u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDespite Elizabethu0026#39;s somewhat proper and restricted outlook, she accepts the love offered by Lota, even though this leaves Mary as the odd woman out. This act struck me as a shabby betrayal of an old friend, but, in the movie, itu0026#39;s treated as true love that makes such betrayal acceptable, if not inevitable.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIt doesnu0026#39;t hurt that Lota has an enormous estate, and enormous resources. As an architect, Lota is able to envision and then design a beautiful writeru0026#39;s studio for Elizabeth.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe strong point of the movie is that it presents the writing of poetry as work. Elizabeth doesnu0026#39;t just close her eyes and wait until the poetic muse strikes her. She sits in the studio and pushes and pulls her poetry into shape. Sheu0026#39;s also not happy when sheu0026#39;s interrupted during the creative process. This is the only film I can remember where creating a poem is shown as a process, and a delicate and difficult process at that.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis idyllic existence is disrupted by Brazilian political events, into which Lota plunges. The remainder of the movie is devoted to how these events play out in the lives of Elizabeth and Lota.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI donu0026#39;t know enough about the details of the coup, or of the lives of the filmu0026#39;s principals, to know how accurately the film portrays them. This aspect of the movie is highly melodramatic, but the actual events were probably equally melodramatic. Certainly, the film holds your interest as the situation plays itself out to the end.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWe saw this movie on the large screen, where it will work better, especially in the scenes set on Lotau0026#39;s estate. However, it will work well enough on the small screen. Itu0026#39;s not a great movie, but itu0026#39;s certainly good enough to repay you for finding and watching it.”