Deserto particular

In this fascinating, complex portrait of Brazilian society, 40-year-old Daniel has been suspended from active police work for assaulting a new recruit. Our man has got a lot on his mind: not only his internal investigation for violence, but also the help needed by his ailing father, a former soldier who now needs round-the-clock care. Daniel seeks out menial jobs, like serving as a bouncer in a nightclub, and grapples with his sister, who wants to move their father into a care home and who has fallen in love with a woman, to her brother’s great disapproval. So, when Sara, his internet love affair, stops answering his texts he decides to drive north in search of her, starting on what is apparently a fool’s errand. He shows Sara’s picture around, but nobody seems to recognize the woman. Until eventually one guy pops up, saying he can put the two in touch under very specific conditions. This sentimental drama dressed up as a road movie sees its protagonist discovering an unspeakable side of himself, and successfully holds viewers’ attention by way of a healthy dose of suspense. A finely balanced film which questions the concept of personal freedom and the burden of the cages we erect in our own minds.