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Charcoal

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Charcoal

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Summary

A poor rural family faces a dilemma when a wanted drug lord offers money to take the identity of its ailing patriarch - as long as they kill the elderly man first. With Cesar Bordon, Romulo Braga and Jean de Almeida Costa. In Portuguese

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IMDB

Review

A star rating of 3 out of 5.

Trevor Johnston

This moral fable from Brazil follows a struggling family whose unconventional route out of poverty comes at a price. Running their own charcoal factory is a tough way to make a meagre living, especially when the stroke-affected father of matriarch Irene (Maeve Jinkings) shows scant hope for recovery. A replacement for their regular nurse brings a lucrative proposal that they dispose of the old man and "replace" him with a fugitive drug dealer who needs to lie low. Perma-stressed Irene is tested by this toxic opportunity, while the household's proposed new arrival comes with surprising connections to the family. It sounds like the stuff of uproarious black comedy, but first-time writer/director Carolina Markowicz plays a much subtler game. Her film is the stateliest of slow-burns, and delivers an ominous sense of doom. Underlining how the family's sweet little boy is liable to be most affected by the swap, this is a classy, absorbing portrait of good intentions on the drift.

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7.0/10

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Credits

Cast

rolenameIreneMaeve JinkingsMiguelCésar BordónJairoRômulo BragaLucianaCamila Márdila

Crew

rolenameDirectorCarolina Markowicz

Details

Released on

2023-03-20

Languages

Portuguese | Spanish

Guidance

Violence, swearing, sexual references, drug abuse

Formats

Colour

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