‘Florianopolis Dream’: A film review

 By Marilyn jozwik

Published Oct. 25, 2019

I loved the tropical isle setting of dramedy “Florianopolis Dream,” which will be shown one more time during the Milwaukee Film Festival – at 4:45 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31, at the Avalon Theater.

It is set on a small island in Brazil separated from the mainland by a half-block of shallow waters that vacationers wade through with their luggage. The film is in Spanish and Portuguese with subtitles.

On this idyllic spot we find a family of Argentinians – Mom, Dad and their teenage son and daughter. Mom and Dad – both psychoanalysts -- have made the long road trip to reconnect as a family, but encounter a problem before they even get to their destination – they run out of gas. As the car begins to slow to a stop, dad proclaims quietly that he’s “an a--hole” for not getting gas at the last opportunity.

But as they sit at the side of the road, a couple pulls over – and siphon off gas from their car (yup, the guy puts a hose in his mouth and sucks in some gas to get it flowing) and into the stalled car. He tells them he has a nice house they can stay at on the small island off the mainland. When the place the family had previously booked proves to be a dump, they take him up on his offer and make the trek across the shallow water.

While the family is on a mission to get closer, they all go their separate ways. Mom and Dad – who are not sleeping together -- find romance with their fun-loving landlords, their daughter hooks up with the landlords’ son, and her brother goes off to a nearby island with some friends.

The movie lulls the viewer into this quaint, romantic get-away with its parties, beaches and tropical views, just as it does the couple. At first, mom rejects her landlord’s suggestion that they have a drink together when he sees her reading in a hammock, but soon she relents. The rest of the family has gone off on their own adventures. Soon, the whole family has succumbed to the allure of the isle and found love. But it is all fleeting – just a dream – when they pack up their rickety vehicle and head back to Argentina.

There are moments of comedy, poignancy and beauty in the film. The view of the ocean from atop a rocky cliff is lovely, while the narrow footpath to the island home is lined with tropical trees and bushes.

It’s ironic that, in their quest for closeness, everyone learns that this attempt to reconnect is artificial and not lasting. As the film nears its end, the mom and dad go out to romp in the water. But the splashing and tussling in the water sometimes looks more menacing thon playful. A last-night romantic dinner is served with revelations that only serve to complicate their relationship.

I would give this film a B-.