According to Pereira (1995)

Portugal 1938. Pereira is the editor of the culture section of the Lisboa, an unaffiliated evening paper. There is civil war in Spain and the fascists are in power in Portugal, but he ... See full summary »

Director:

Roberto Faenza

Writers:

Roberto Faenza, Antonio Tabucchi (novel)

Stars:

Marcello Mastroianni, Joaquim de Almeida, Daniel Auteuil

3 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Marcello Mastroianni	...	Pereira
Joaquim de Almeida	...	Manuel
Daniel Auteuil	...	Dr. Cardoso
Stefano Dionisi	...	Monteiro Rossi
Nicoletta Braschi	...	Marta
Marthe Keller	...	Mrs. Delgado
Teresa Madruga	...	Portiera
Nicolau Breyner	...	Father António
Filipe Ferrer	...	Silva
João Grosso	...	Police Chief
Mário Viegas	...	Newspaper Editor
Manuela Cassola
Fátima Marques
Rui Otero
Pedro Efe

Storyline

Portugal 1938. Pereira is the editor of the culture section of the Lisboa, an unaffiliated evening paper. There is civil war in Spain and the fascists are in power in Portugal, but he concerns himself only with his work (writing biographies of famous writers and translating French novels) and ignores what is going on around him. He hires Monteiro Rossi, an idealistic young man in love with a beautiful communist, as an assistant. He reluctantly helps them when they begin to get into trouble due to subversive activities. Eventually events force him to take a stand.

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Plot Keywords:

journalism | political oppression | 1930s | based on novel | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Italy France Portugal

Language:

Italian Portuguese

Release Date:

1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

According to Pereira

Filming Locations:

Lisbon, Portugal

Company Credits

Production Co:

Jean Vigo International, K.G. Productions, Mikado Film

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Edited into Marcello, una vita dolce (2006)

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Soundtracks

A brisa do coração
Performed by Dulce Pontes

User Reviews

Still convinces after a fourth viewing

A thoughtful story, impeccably acted, free from cinematic cliche, holding the attention at every moment, raising a few smiles, and lingering long in the memory. What more could a discerning filmgoer want? Good music? It's got that too (Dulce Pontes).

Mastroianni brings magisterially to life the outwardly grey and unremarkable literary journalist of the title - a widower approaching retirement age who lives on nostalgic memories of his wife, with whose photo he habitually converses, and tries to ignore the increasingly unpalatable turn things are taking around him owing to the rise of fascism (we're in late-30s Lisbon). His prudent, mild-mannered apoliticism comes under threat when he employs a naive and passionate Italian rebel as an obituary-writer, then discovers that his own generous human instincts oblige him reluctantly to intervene when the young Italian gets into trouble and has to go on the run from the authorities. Thus, he finds himself being drawn into political commitment in spite of his own instincts and lifelong habits - a transition he cannot explain even to himself except in terms of a picturesque philosophical theory ("community of souls") offered by his doctor (a sympathetic and amusing secondary character).

The film's memorable moments are many, including a grotesque reconstruction of fascist propaganda being shown at a cinema, a couple of finely-observed encounters between Pereira and his craven, dull-witted boss, and an unforgettable scene in which Pereira is forced to witness at first hand the sneering, lumpen brutality of Portugal's new fascist rulers (an event that finally prods him into taking decisive, if ultimately little more than symbolic, action).

This movie presents a struggle between opposing forces within the individual, with kindness and generosity ranged against prudent self-interest and force of habit, and it does so with delicacy and finesse.

No knowledge of Portugal's history is required or assumed, though it /is/ assumed that viewers will understand references to the Spanish Civil War and will be able to place the phenomenon of European fascism in some sort of historical/conceptual context. Period "feel" and locations are expertly re-created. All in all, a very creditable piece of film-making that stands up well to repeated viewings.