In the beautiful setting of Recife, Brazil, "Once Upon a Time Veronica" plays out like a French art film of the 1950s. The pace is sluggish, the silences are protracted, the characters excessively hedonistic, and the film's themes overly pretentious.
The film juggles three strands in the rather pathetic life of Veronica. First, there is her relationship with her ailing father. Second, there is her unfolding career as a medical doctor. Third, there is Veronica's sensual lifestyle explored with her steady partner and others.
Of the three narrative elements, the most touching is Veronica's devotion to her father. The most believable moments occurred in the doting attention he pays her daughter and the reciprocal love she feels for him. A crucial reference point is the house where she grew up that is now shuttered and abandoned.
Much less successful are the scenes depicting Veronica at work as a physician. Rarely does she ever attempt to treat her patients. She has brief conversations and is a good listener. But, nowhere was it credible that she was a real doctor. At one point, she was under review for improper treatment of a schizophrenic. Next, we see her getting a promotion. The professional medical scenes in this film were a mess.
The romantic scenes were also problematic in the lack of intimacy or genuine connection Veronica was making with her paramour. She is unable to commit to marriage or even a permanent live-in relationship with her boyfriend. She seems to enjoy frolicking in groups more than in the one-to-one connection with another human being.
The interminably slow pace of the film is compounded by Victoria dictating her self-analysis into a recorder. At one point, she admits to herself that she may have a "heart of stone." In this slow-burner of a film in Recife, the subtitle of the film might read: "Portrait of a Heart of Stone."
The film juggles three strands in the rather pathetic life of Veronica. First, there is her relationship with her ailing father. Second, there is her unfolding career as a medical doctor. Third, there is Veronica's sensual lifestyle explored with her steady partner and others.
Of the three narrative elements, the most touching is Veronica's devotion to her father. The most believable moments occurred in the doting attention he pays her daughter and the reciprocal love she feels for him. A crucial reference point is the house where she grew up that is now shuttered and abandoned.
Much less successful are the scenes depicting Veronica at work as a physician. Rarely does she ever attempt to treat her patients. She has brief conversations and is a good listener. But, nowhere was it credible that she was a real doctor. At one point, she was under review for improper treatment of a schizophrenic. Next, we see her getting a promotion. The professional medical scenes in this film were a mess.
The romantic scenes were also problematic in the lack of intimacy or genuine connection Veronica was making with her paramour. She is unable to commit to marriage or even a permanent live-in relationship with her boyfriend. She seems to enjoy frolicking in groups more than in the one-to-one connection with another human being.
The interminably slow pace of the film is compounded by Victoria dictating her self-analysis into a recorder. At one point, she admits to herself that she may have a "heart of stone." In this slow-burner of a film in Recife, the subtitle of the film might read: "Portrait of a Heart of Stone."