The only reason A Dog's Will (O Auto da Compadecida) even surfaced on my radar is coz of its inexplicably high position on Letterboxd Top 250 list. The film doesn't have much of an international presence yet it appears to be held in high regard by Brazil's local audience and is a staple of their country's most beloved feature films.
For an outsider like me however, this was a chore. Cheap production value, over-the-top characters, exaggerated acting & an onslaught of dialogues that provide no breather, this fanciful comedy is full cringe during its first act and it's difficult to process what it's about or where it's headed. But the longer one holds on to it, the better it gets.
The idiosyncratic characters aren't instantly appealing so it takes a while to warm up to them. But once we get a grip on what's happening, the ride sure becomes a bit smoother. The themes & context that are in play during its witty moments are so firmly rooted in Brazil's culture that for a foreigner, it is difficult to grasp and is bound to leave most clueless.
Overall, A Dog's Will is one of those films that are more geared towards its native audience and isn't going to impress those not well versed with Brazilian culture & heritage, for the film lacks a universal appeal. There's hardly anything appreciable about this terribly dated, awfully humoured & hurriedly moving feature for a non-native like me but I for one am not sorry for failing to see what's so great about it.