A fan's darling at the 26th European Film Awards, The Gilded Cage is a French-Portuguese comedy, mainly spoken in French. Maria and José inherit money from a dead relative, giving them an opportunity to leave France and reside in Portugal where their ancestors came from. Moving is not a choice but a requirement, so the film shows the 3-week-period in which the characters have to decide wether they will abandon their blue-collar lifestyle as key pieces in their respective labors, while their children also navigate hardships. From the moment the revelation is made 10 minutes in, The Gilded Cage focuses on a different angle than most family-moving films. The nuance provided by the setup is that they agree to go at first, but events keep happening that tie them in commitment, making it harder for them to make a collective decision. José particularly finds himself at a turning point in his career as a builder, being called for a job constructing a mall. Coincidently, his boss's son is secretly dating his daughter. Chaos unfolds, etc.
As the main storyline could be put into four quadrants (mother, father, daughter, son; an old-fashion convention), some of the characters are more interesting than others. Maria is a particularly recognizable archetype: her boss is stingy and her work goes under-appreciated. Rita Blanco sells it with the best performance overall. She has the empathetic charisma that a character like this needs. The daughter quadrant takes up a big portion of the plot also. Her relationship with her boyfriend is revealed to the parents going into the second act, resulting in the gathering of both families. In this scene, the movie lays out most of its grievances regarding class differences, mainly when Paula, the daughter, judges her parents for not owning up to their reality. José hits her, and it is definitely the most dramatic moment in the movie.
The son quadrant is probably the least interesting, with a vague romantic interest that is only used to prove points. It does result in character development, though. The scene in which Maria pretends she's not the mother of her son just to do him a favor is an evocative one, especially because Maria still makes him breakfast the day after. Maria is a giver, all the way, and how she bonds with her son is heartwarming. Her character is also used for effective comedy purposes, for instance Maria ordering the pillows after leaving with her husband out of the mansion. The film does paint most of its characters in diverse situations, to explore them further.
At the last stage of the film, José and Maria decide to start making bad decisions purposefully to get fired from their respective jobs. You could say this is where the comedy angle of the movie shines again. Maria even cries when she forces herself to ruin a shirt with the iron. The resolution is adequate for most storylines, even if there are some loose ends when it comes to, for example, Maria's sister, which is left to manage a business by herself. If you ask me, at some points there are too many mishaps pulling José and Maria back, and this search for problems in the script leaves a one-and-a-half hour movie incapable of dealing with them all appropriately.
But in the end, the characters are great. Farces live or die with their characters. Most in the Ribeiro dynasty are relatable, with a touch of caricature that all comedy needs. In the most important moments, the movie uses cinematography to enhance their inner-feelings. José passionately talking about architecture is done with a slow 360 whirl around a table, while Maria's important speech to her employer is seen in a long, medium-to-close shot. I really respect that; Ruben Alves makes sure his debut is complete, and it succeeds in creating characters that interact with a nice rhythm, worthy of something like a mini-series, capable of growing on-screen. It is also important to remember that falling in love too much with the characters can be a mistake. The last 3 minutes of the movie are not necessary, for me. I guess they close the movie with a lighthearted tone but it unties some of the realism that made the movie stand out for me. However, as a whole, I recommend The Gilded Cage for entertaining and thought-provoking foreign film.
7.5/10.
As the main storyline could be put into four quadrants (mother, father, daughter, son; an old-fashion convention), some of the characters are more interesting than others. Maria is a particularly recognizable archetype: her boss is stingy and her work goes under-appreciated. Rita Blanco sells it with the best performance overall. She has the empathetic charisma that a character like this needs. The daughter quadrant takes up a big portion of the plot also. Her relationship with her boyfriend is revealed to the parents going into the second act, resulting in the gathering of both families. In this scene, the movie lays out most of its grievances regarding class differences, mainly when Paula, the daughter, judges her parents for not owning up to their reality. José hits her, and it is definitely the most dramatic moment in the movie.
The son quadrant is probably the least interesting, with a vague romantic interest that is only used to prove points. It does result in character development, though. The scene in which Maria pretends she's not the mother of her son just to do him a favor is an evocative one, especially because Maria still makes him breakfast the day after. Maria is a giver, all the way, and how she bonds with her son is heartwarming. Her character is also used for effective comedy purposes, for instance Maria ordering the pillows after leaving with her husband out of the mansion. The film does paint most of its characters in diverse situations, to explore them further.
At the last stage of the film, José and Maria decide to start making bad decisions purposefully to get fired from their respective jobs. You could say this is where the comedy angle of the movie shines again. Maria even cries when she forces herself to ruin a shirt with the iron. The resolution is adequate for most storylines, even if there are some loose ends when it comes to, for example, Maria's sister, which is left to manage a business by herself. If you ask me, at some points there are too many mishaps pulling José and Maria back, and this search for problems in the script leaves a one-and-a-half hour movie incapable of dealing with them all appropriately.
But in the end, the characters are great. Farces live or die with their characters. Most in the Ribeiro dynasty are relatable, with a touch of caricature that all comedy needs. In the most important moments, the movie uses cinematography to enhance their inner-feelings. José passionately talking about architecture is done with a slow 360 whirl around a table, while Maria's important speech to her employer is seen in a long, medium-to-close shot. I really respect that; Ruben Alves makes sure his debut is complete, and it succeeds in creating characters that interact with a nice rhythm, worthy of something like a mini-series, capable of growing on-screen. It is also important to remember that falling in love too much with the characters can be a mistake. The last 3 minutes of the movie are not necessary, for me. I guess they close the movie with a lighthearted tone but it unties some of the realism that made the movie stand out for me. However, as a whole, I recommend The Gilded Cage for entertaining and thought-provoking foreign film.
7.5/10.