Written and directed by Maria Clara Escobar, Desterro is a Portuguese movie starring Carla Kinzo, Otto Jr., and Romulo Braga as the main characters. The movie has a runtime of 122 minutes.
Netflix synopsis of the movie:
Chafing under her lifeless relationship, a young woman leaves her partner and their son behind to go on an enigmatic quest of self-discovery.
-Desterro Review Does Not Contain Spoilers-
Desterro surrounds a young woman named Laura and her partner, Israel, living an ordinary life along with their son, Lucas. The movie mainly focuses on their day-to-day activities and how every day looks almost identical to the next day. It shows us how stagnant human life is in the modern world.
When Laura cannot take it anymore, she leaves her partner and her son on a journey to find herself and live life on her terms. Her tiredness of the ordinary daily life was visibly noticeable. The distance between her and her family was seen to be growing with each day passing by.
It is a disheartening portrayal of a woman’s life in search of happiness and contentment throughout the movie. A person feeling trapped in her life trying to break free, leaving behind her family who is struggling to lead their own lives through the ordinary.
Desterro also explores the subject of death and how meaningless it has become in the modern world. The materialistic approach towards it and very little attention paid to it by bureaucratic officials is the reflection of how the people of the society have moved away from each other. It can be seen how little one cares about others in modern society and how lonely one can feel.
As Laura is on her journey, many different women sharing their stories with her are also shown – different perspectives of life and how they crossed over every obstacle. It is one of the most powerful and impactful scenes in the entire movie.
The running theme throughout the entire movie is the search for happiness. Laura was unhappy, and hence she tried to find it by running away from her family. Israel tried to find contentment in his life by taking care of his son.
Desterro also tried to explore how society burdens women with expectations on their shoulders. A woman is expected to be beautiful, “clean”, and raise a family. Laura tried to defy those expectations put on her, she refused to be held down.
Also Read: Tadka Review: Shriya Saran, Nana Patekar Movie is Cute Until Its Not
The cinematography of the movie is also excellently done. The storytelling of the movie is compelling and keeps the audience invested throughout. The various use of lighting and music to portray emotions is the highlight of the movie.
The criticism that could be given is the slow pace of the movie; in the first half, it feels like the story is going nowhere until it finally starts to pick up in the second half. Also, it misses the mark of showing something deeper than usual in the movie, as it seemed a little superficial. The message was received, but nothing beyond it.
However, the movie sheds light upon various tragedies of life that we often look over. A woman trapped in her daily life seeking freedom. A man losing his partner and raising a child all by himself. These are some of the melancholy that resides within the mundane.
Summing Up: Desterro
Desterro is a story about a woman named Laura who leaves her partner Isreal and 5-year-old son Lucas behind in a journey of self-discovery. The movie is gripping and emotional and keeps you invested.
Desterro is now streaming on Netflix.
Also read: Lady Chatterley’s Lover Trailer: Emma Corrin Discards the Expectations of Society