Synopses
The Martins family are optimistic dreamers, quietly leading their lives in the margins of a major Brazilian city following the disappointing inauguration of a far-right extremist president. A lower-middle-class Black family, they feel the strain of their new reality as the political dust settles. Tércia, the mother, reinterprets her world after an unexpected encounter leaves her wondering if she’s cursed. Her husband, Wellington, puts all of his hopes into the soccer career of their son, Deivinho, who reluctantly follows his father’s ambitions despite secretly aspiring to study astrophysics and colonize Mars. Meanwhile, their older daughter, Eunice, falls in love with a free-spirited young woman and ponders whether it’s time to leave home.
Where to watch Mars One
Gabriel Martins (In the Heart of the World, 2019) is a master of the subtle and Mars One is proof of that. Populated by well-drawn characters, the feature explores Brazilian culture in every single frame of its length.By addressing the dreams of each family member and their expectations for themselves and the others, it manages to be an affectionate and accurate portrait of Brazilian families in an authentic and unobtrusive way.
The transformations of the individual characters are shown with precision and without excessive use of dialogue. Anxieties and apprehensions share space with light-hearted moments, as well as the unexpected pulling of the carpet. It’s a microscopic balance, but one that resembles the turmoil of feelings we experience on a daily basis.
At the end of the day, the Martins family chooses optimism. Being used to a marked cards game, they choose to find strength in each other’s shoulders, which, even with stumbles, remain there, anchored.
Why we recommend it
Filmmaker Gabriel Martins is very skilled at giving information in his scenes without the need for a lot of dialog. His subtlety can also be noticed in the way he directs the actors, which results in naturalistic performances.
Credits
- Original Title: Marte Um
- Rating: 16 anos
- Genre: Drama
- Runtime: 1h 55 min
- Releasing year: 2022
- Country: Brasil
- Production Companies: Filmes de Plástico / Canal Brasil (coprodução)
- Distribuitor: Embaúba Filmes
- Director: Gabriel Martins
- Writer: Gabriel Martins
- Producer: André Novais Oliveira, Gabriel Martins, Maurilio Martins e Thiago Macêdo Correia
- Executive Producer: Thiago Macêdo Correia
- Production Management : Luna Gomides
- Cast: Cícero Lucas, Camila Damião, Rejane Faria, Carlos Francisco, Russo APR, Ana Hilário, Tokinho e Juan Pablo Sorín
- Cinematography: Leonardo Feliciano
- Production Design: Rimenna Procópio
- Costume Design: Marina Sandim
- Sound Design: Tiago Bello
- Soundtrack: Daniel Simitan
- Editing: Tiago Ricarte e Gabriel Martins
