O Fatalista (2005)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

João Botelho

Writers:

João Botelho (adaptation)
Denis Diderot (novel)

Release Date:

8 December 2005 (Portugal)

Genre:

Drama

Plot Keywords:

Based On Novel

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Rogério Samora	...	Tiago
André Gomes	...	Patrão
Rita Blanco	...	Senhora D
Suzana Borges	...	Innkeeper
Patrícia Guerreiro	...	Bárbara
José Wallenstein	...	Marques
Teresa Madruga	...	Barbara's Mother
Margarida Vila-Nova	...	Daughter
Maria Emília Correia	...	Brothel Owner
Adriano Luz	...	Husband
João Baptista	...	Young Tiago
Helena Laureano	...	Suzete
Ana Bustorff	...	Margarida
Laura Soveral	...	Grandmother
José Pinto	...	Grandfather

Also Known As:

Le fataliste (France)
The Fatalist (International: English title)

Runtime:

99 min | France:105 min

Country:

Portugal | France

Language:

Portuguese

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Filming Locations:

Alentejo, Portugal

Company:

Madragoa Filmes

Hollow and artificial

This movie was adapted from the novel "Jacques le Fataliste" by Diderot. But with these transpositions of stories of past centuries to our present times you must be very careful in order to respect the literary values of those ancient times and at same time give credibility to the modern story. That's where this movie fails though formally well made and benefiting of a relaxed and pleasant narrative process. A private driver conducts his boss on an endless journey during which they talk about the driver's past life particularly in what concerns his former love adventures. Soon we realize that the roles are somewhat inverted and that the driver has some liberties which show that his respectful manners are only apparent and that psychologically at least he is the real boss there. There is an off voice narrator who comes now and then to keep the line on the story. Here and there the conversation between boss and driver is interrupted by occasional stops at inns where some more or less slightly funny episodes occur. In the last one another long story is told by the hostess (and we see it in images) featuring the romance first between a marquis and a fine widow and then between the same marquis and an ex-bar girl in an atmosphere much to the 18th century taste in which however we don't recognize our present values making it to sound a bit displaced. The dialogues between the two above referred main characters are hollow, artificial and full of cheap philosophy. Both actors are not very good in fact too. A so-so movie, in short.