I was recently asked to write a recommendation for a soccer film, this was the first title that came to my mind. So, even though soccer only plays a small part of the story, it is such an important element in the DNA of the film, I had to include it.
The film is The Year My Parents Went On Vacation from Brazilian writer/director Cao Hamburger. The year mentioned in the title is 1970 and excitement is in the air as Brazil makes it to the World Cup Finals and with Pele on their team, what could possibly be wrong!
Well, lots actually.
Our protagonist is 11 year old Mauro (Michel Joelsas) who, along with his political dissident parents is on the run from the military police. In order to protect Mauro, his father arranges to leave him with his paternal Grandfather while they "go on vacation", which is a euphemism for hiding out from the authorities.
So Mauro gets dropped at the entrance of a large scary apartment building in a run down section of Sao Paulo and with a quick hug and a kiss, his parents are gone. Unbeknownst to them however, Mauro's Grandfather has just died that morning from a heart attack.
Things then go from bad to worse for Mauro as this is a very Orthodox Jewish area of Sao Paulo and most of the residents only speak Yiddish, a language that sounds like so much gibberish to young Mauro who didn't even know his father was Jewish.
Now enters Shlomo (Germano Haiut), a crabby, ill-tempered old duffer who lives in the apartment next door to Mauro's deceased grandfather and there is a great discussion among the neighbors about what to do with Mauro.
Finally, the local Rabbi decrees that since God dropped Mauro on Shlomo's doorstep, HE must know what he's doing and orders Shlomo to care for the boy until his parents return, albeit with help from the community. Talk about an odd couple!
But this is where soccer comes into play.
Because Brazil is in the World Cup Finals against Mexico, the entire country gets united behind their national team and before long everyone from Communist to Capitalist, old to young, male to female or whatever combination you can come up with manages to put aside their differences long enough to root for Pele and team Brazil.
If I have made The Year My Parents Went On Vacation sound like a Brazilian "Home Alone", I apologize; nothing could be further from the truth.
What I liked about this film was the way it managed to negotiate the growing friendship between Mauro and Shlomo without resorting to emotional tricks or false sentiment.
In fact, The Year My Parents Went On Vacation is one of the least sentimental films I have seen.
With its excellent performances, well written script, exceptional cinematography and understated, but effective music score, The Year My Parents Went On Vacation is a coming of age dramady that is light years ahead most other films in that usually overwrought genre. I can't recommend this film enough.
The film is The Year My Parents Went On Vacation from Brazilian writer/director Cao Hamburger. The year mentioned in the title is 1970 and excitement is in the air as Brazil makes it to the World Cup Finals and with Pele on their team, what could possibly be wrong!
Well, lots actually.
Our protagonist is 11 year old Mauro (Michel Joelsas) who, along with his political dissident parents is on the run from the military police. In order to protect Mauro, his father arranges to leave him with his paternal Grandfather while they "go on vacation", which is a euphemism for hiding out from the authorities.
So Mauro gets dropped at the entrance of a large scary apartment building in a run down section of Sao Paulo and with a quick hug and a kiss, his parents are gone. Unbeknownst to them however, Mauro's Grandfather has just died that morning from a heart attack.
Things then go from bad to worse for Mauro as this is a very Orthodox Jewish area of Sao Paulo and most of the residents only speak Yiddish, a language that sounds like so much gibberish to young Mauro who didn't even know his father was Jewish.
Now enters Shlomo (Germano Haiut), a crabby, ill-tempered old duffer who lives in the apartment next door to Mauro's deceased grandfather and there is a great discussion among the neighbors about what to do with Mauro.
Finally, the local Rabbi decrees that since God dropped Mauro on Shlomo's doorstep, HE must know what he's doing and orders Shlomo to care for the boy until his parents return, albeit with help from the community. Talk about an odd couple!
But this is where soccer comes into play.
Because Brazil is in the World Cup Finals against Mexico, the entire country gets united behind their national team and before long everyone from Communist to Capitalist, old to young, male to female or whatever combination you can come up with manages to put aside their differences long enough to root for Pele and team Brazil.
If I have made The Year My Parents Went On Vacation sound like a Brazilian "Home Alone", I apologize; nothing could be further from the truth.
What I liked about this film was the way it managed to negotiate the growing friendship between Mauro and Shlomo without resorting to emotional tricks or false sentiment.
In fact, The Year My Parents Went On Vacation is one of the least sentimental films I have seen.
With its excellent performances, well written script, exceptional cinematography and understated, but effective music score, The Year My Parents Went On Vacation is a coming of age dramady that is light years ahead most other films in that usually overwrought genre. I can't recommend this film enough.