From Beginning To End

Aluisio Abranches' magnificent Brazilian drama FROM BEGINNING TO END (Do Começo ao Fim, 2009) gets short shrift on DVD, thanks to a bungled presentation by UK/US distributor TLA Releasing. For a start, there is no enhancement for 16:9 TV's. Fourteen years after the introduction of DVD, and despite the existence of an HD print in Brazil (where the film is available on Blu-ray), we're given a 4:3 print with the 2.35:1 CinemaScope image striped across the narrow frame. To add insult to injury, the Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack heard in cinemas has been downmixed to 2.0 mono. That's right - we don't even get a stereo version, it's MONO all the way! There are no extras, either (apart from a trailer), which gives no indication whatsoever of the film's cultural impact in Brazil, where it made cover boys of its two gorgeous leading players and generated a healthy debate on a subject that many find taboo under the best of circumstances.Shot on location amongst the palatial homes of Rio's most upscale residents, Abranches' screenplay follows two half-brothers, born to wealthy parents, whose intimate childhood bond develops into something more passionate in adulthood, when their relationship takes a sexual turn. Abranches refuses to adopt a moral stand on the issue (though he hedges his bets by making the characters half-brothers rather than full siblings, a concession to 'good taste', perhaps?); instead, he simply records a love story as romantic as any this reviewer has ever seen, in which two people are so completely devoted to one another that they march to a single drumbeat, unable to conceive of a world beyond their extraordinary kinship. But when one of the men is offered a chance to advance his Olympic dreams by training as a swimmer in Russia, his joy is tempered by the brothers' heartbreaking separation.Played as adults by curly-haired Rafael Cardoso and smiling, bearded João Gabriel Vasconcellos, these two bronzed, beautiful actors enter into the spirit of the relationship with a physicality that is astonishing to behold: Their tactile interplay, generous nude scenes and passionate kisses are so intense that they suggest a genuine intimacy that goes above and beyond the call of duty. There is no sex in the film, because there is no need: Some of the kisses between Cardoso and Vasconcellos are so deep and sexual that explicit displays of lovemaking are rendered entirely unnecessary.The opulent backdrops and lack of moralizing may strike some as unrealistic, but this is a fantasy in which two unlikely people make a connection that most of us never find in an entire lifetime. You either go with it or you don't, it's as simple as that. The ending is perhaps too abrupt, and the look on Cardoso's face in the final shot is more than a little ambiguous, but the build-up is too exotic and emotional for this to make too much of a difference.FROM BEGINNING TO END ranks alongside PARTING GLANCES (1985) and BURNT MONEY (Plata Quemada, 2000) as one of the most beautiful and romantic gay films ever made, and it deserves a hell of a sight better than the throwaway DVD treatment it receives here. An absolute travesty.

Along the lines of Bernardo Bertolucci's "The Dreamers", Louis Malle's "Murmur of the Heart" or Jean Chatreuverte's "La Coupure" comes Aluizio Abranches film "Do Començo ao Fim" (engl. subtitle; From Beginning to End"), which like the other aforementioned films also tackles what for many people a taboo theme is: family eroticism or incest. Half-brothers Tomas(Gabriel Kaufmann) and Francisco (Lucas Cotrim)share a very close childhood in innocent intimacy with their mother Julieta (Julia Lemmertz) and her second husband and father to the younger Tomas, Alexandre (Fabio Assunçao). Despite what seems to be a harmonious relationship between the adults and the children (inclusive of Julieta's first husband Pedro)there is a sense of displacement and helplessness with the adults in the stance and direction they should take(especially Julieta) concerning the two boys. The adults are forced to confront the eye-opening reality called to attention by Jullieta's ex-husband about the children's overt closeness edging on intimacy. This sense of re-examining and subsequent loss of traditional moral perceptions as well as the conscious ignorance of what direction to adopt where the behavioural pattern their children are concerned is wonderfully conveyed by Ms. Lemmertz wistful and longing gazes and Fabio Assunçao's nervous paternal placidity. Growing into young adults, both Francisco (Joao Gabriel Vasconcellos) and Tomas (Rafael Cardoso) are aware of their burgeoning sexual desire for one another. This desires however finally finds it's release only after their mother's (relatively early) demise-a life changing moment in their relationship. Tomas' voice over narration puts this long hedged longing succintly when he says there was something liberating about the change but in the end what remained was the love and desire. With the consummation of their desire now fulfilled, their union undergoes a severe test when Tomas is invited to join the olympic swimming team and train in Russia. Tomas initially declines but finally concedes at Francisco's prodding who sees the opportunity as chance for his younger brother's professional development. What he does not reckon with is what this first ever parting does to his own reasoning forcing him to seek consolation in someone elses arms to alleviate for his brother/lover gone away. Incest in movies has always been a tricky topic. Tackling the subject matter and projecting it into the big screen with hundreds, possibly thousands viewing it while retaining a modicum of psycho-moralistic "decency" and ensuring it does not slide into seaminess is to my mind walking a thin, fine line between artistic and commercial success and moral censure. This is where the film no doubt succeeds. Director Abranches manages to successfully portray the sensuality this of "forbidden" desire with eroticism and tact. He also adeptly portrays the "confusion of moral direction" through the unstructured, vague plot. Lemmertz and Assunçao manage to convey this confusion coated by skin deep tranquility convincingly. The children portrayed by Cotrim and Kaufmann are just marvelous. However it is Cardoso and Vasconcellos in their portayal of Francisco and Tom Tom (Francisco affectionate nickname for his younger sibling) that makes the movie come alive. Their chemistry is nothing short of electrifying. The glances the brothers give one another-especially in their banter with Tomas' swimming trainer Ivan and in the Tango Club scene where Tomas dances with a girl, whilst conveying their love and longing for one another is not only truly convincing but is pure eroticism in its most exquisite form. The gravitas of the subject matter is offset by an easy plot and the very good looks and screen presence of both Cardoso and Vasconcellos who together with director Abranches makes crossing that thin, fine,line for the unsure viewer not such a dark undertaking after all. Really a film worth one's time and money.

Good film , but not for the light hearted . Felt a bit awkward as have boys and I didn't like the fact of that . But aside that and quilt of liking it . Good film

The film took so long to get going. There was too much about their childhood. We were supposed to believe that everyone was concerned about the closeness of these two boys but nothing that they did could have provided any suspicion about their relationship. As adults engaging in an incestuous relationship they were dull. The sad thing is that I did not care about this family at all. What a film could have been made examining these people if the boys had been real people, with real concerns and feelings, if they had done anything other than float through their comfortable lives. All people have difficulties growing-up, gay people even more so, two incestuous brothers must have the most. A lost opportunity.

From Beginning To End è un film a tematica gay che narra la storia d'amore di due fratellastri

BEAUTIFUL STORY AND IT HAS SUBTITLES

Rafael Cardoso tem uma corajosa estreia no cinema com um filme que celebra o amor sem barreiras, foto belíssima, som dos melhores e direcção segura. Elenco de primeiras águas. Uma ode ao Amor.

It is a film with subtitles and some bad music. Apart from that it is involving - layers are peeled back and then built upon. Dodgy subject matter but well put together and enjoyable apart from that.Francisco and Thomas are half brothers from the same Mother. From the moment Thomas was born it was as if two soul mates had reconnected. Thomas didn't open his eyes for a very long time, then suddenly opened them and looked into Francisco's eyes and that was it. I have watched this many times and because of the subject I take brotherhood out of the equation and concentrate on the soul mates part. I look at this as a love story...most of the time.It's interesting though. Sometimes I look at this and see soul mates and a love story of equals. But sometimes I look at this and see and older dominant brother possessing the younger submissive mind, body and soul and wonder if Thomas had a chance to do anything other than submit to Francisco's obsessive love. When I am thinking latterly I see how Francisco practically tries to eat Thomas every time they kiss, how he tries to absorb him into his body when they hug -how he touches him all the time. When Thomas is given his `good news' by his swimming coach he seems happy until he sees Francisco's reaction.It is easy to notice there seems to be no-one outside their immediate family that they choose to be with apart from the swim coach. Intimately involved with each other there appears to be no room for others in their lives. The boys live for each other.The boys Mother recognises the signs early but seems to accept that what she sees will come to fruition and it is ok. Pedro, Francisco's father, sees it from a young age and is disturbed but the Mother says they can't say it is wrong...I disagree. Alexandre is Thomas' father, who the family lives with all the time. He too notices and seems reassured by his wife's acceptance of the behaviour over time.Pedro passes and then 15 years later the Mother passes. This seems to be a catalyst for the men to follow through on their passion. It is though the external link to their relationship taboo is broken with their Mother dying - Alexandre moves out of the family home, leaving the men together. And so it begins - immediately he leaves the house. I don't think anything physical happens before this...or if it does we don't see it. They don't appear to have been intimate with anyone else - so their first time together is their first time I think (Francisco is about 28 and Thomas 22). The impression is they have not been intimate (kissing or lovemaking) with anyone else.After Alexandre moves out he openly acknowledges the relationship in his acceptance the decisions the men must make are for them to decide. When they are all skyping and when they meet in café's it is obvious he acknowledges the intimate relationship and accepts it.This is a movie of three parts to me. Boys growing up, parents all there. Thomas worships Francisco and Francisco taking ownership of Thomas. Literally there is no doubt that for Francisco Thomas is the beginning and the end. There is no doubt also that the relationship is showing its colours in this phase. The boys sleep together, swim together, play together and are just together. Phase two begins when their Mother dies and it is a story of lovers and intimacy. They live together, love together and are only with each other mostly. Finally, when they are separated the effects of this are explored - are the changes that creep in going to allow Thomas to break free from the dominant brother. Can Francisco cope emotionally with the separation? It is on Francisco this phase seems to focus...for the first time he is without his soul mate - Thomas seems to cope more but this is not explored at all. We don't see day to day lives. We see nothing to corroborate that Francisco is a doctor )General Practitioner) - but that is what we glean from his discussion with a woman.Francisco is so lost without Thomas he starts clubbing and hooks up with a woman...in some ways I think he finds a version of Thomas. They start kissing eventually and we see the method of making love with Thomas being used on the girl...this brings things to an end because she notices the wedding ring for the first time. Francisco had given Thomas a ring and had one for himself for Thomas to put on him. After this Francisco seems to lose himself and goes to Thomas. And this is where I again see clues that Thomas is lead by Francisco...he looks mildly happy to see him. Francisco is ecstatic...Thomas doesn't look convince. I almost see him realising his new life is gone...but then again I don't always interpret it this way. Sometimes I think he can't believe Francisco is actually there and then the penny drops...There is an abrupt end to this movie. I would have like to see if the pair grow apart as a result of the imposed separation or if this in fact brings the soul mates closer...if that were even possible.I enjoyed this - it moved through different phases of lives less ordinary.

Der brasilianische Film Do Começo ao Fim (From beginning to end) zeichnet eine utopische Sichtweise einer besseren Welt.Die Mutter der beiden Halbbrüder Francisco und Thomás macht es sich nicht einfach, als sie die Besonderheit der Beziehung ihrer trotz größeren Altersunterschieds unzertrennlichen Kinder zueinander immer deutlicher wahrnimmt.Sie beobachtet, denkt nach, macht sich Sorgen, versteht ihre Fixiertheit aufeinander nicht, aber sie entscheidet sich letztendlich klar gegen eine Intervention und für die Akzeptanz.Dem gleich tun es auch die anderen Charaktere, insbesondere der Vater von Thomás, der nach dem Tod der Mutter in ihre selbstlose unterstützende Rolle schlüpft. Die Eltern werden von den Akteuren großartig gespielt.Norm und Moral tritt ein höheres Ziel entgegen: Das persönliche Glück zweier Menschen.Letztendlich geht es um Akzeptanz, Selbstlosigkeit und Respekt, denn die Eltern erlauben ihren Kindern, sich ungestört zu entwickeln, ohne Scham oder schlechtes Gewissen.Die idealisierte Darstellung von Familie und Beziehung wird vom Regisseur Aluizio Abranches bewusst als Mittel gewählt, um jeglichen Eindruck von Dysfunktionalität in den verschiedenen Beziehungsebenen zu vermeiden.Dadurch verweigert er dem Zuschauer gekonnt die Möglichkeit, moralische Indizien zu sammeln, welche sein vorhandenes Weltbild untermauern.So repräsentieren die Zuschauer die Gesellschaft, die dieses wunderschöne aber jenseits der Konventionen stehende Paar betrachten und bewerten.Die Dialoge sind spärlich. Das Wort ist weniger wichtig als die durch Körpersprache und Mimik verdeutlichten Gefühle. Die Emotion übertrumpft den Verstand.Die Halbbrüder sind nicht blind gegenüber den Moralvorstellungen der Außenwelt, sondern intelligente, selbstbewusste Menschen, die sehr genau wissen, dass sie nicht der Norm entsprechen.Ihre glückliche Liebesbeziehung als Erwachsene wird dabei überhaupt erst durch die Tatsache ermöglicht, dass ihre Eltern ihnen nicht beigebracht haben, sich für ihre großen Gefühle füreinander zu schämen.Thomás und Francisco als Kinder sind wunderbar und in ihrer Komplizität und unschuldigen Innigkeit anrührend anzusehen. Chapeau für die noch sehr jungen Darsteller.Als Erwachsene sind sie eines der überzeugendsten Liebespaare der Filmgeschichte überhaupt. Die Chemie zwischen den beiden stimmt außerordentlich: All die Blicke, kleinen Gesten und Berührungen.Wie die Darstellung der Familie ist auch ihre Liebesbeziehung als absolute, bedingungslose Liebe idealisiert und die beiden Hauptprotagonisten sind von apollinischer Schönheit.Die Verfasser dieser Kritik wüssten nicht, wann sie überhaupt jemals auf der Leinwand eine so zärtliche, leidenschaftliche und unschuldige Darstellung von Liebe, sei sie nun gleich- oder verschiedengeschlechtlich, gesehen hätten.Die beiden Schauspieler machen ihre Sache so gut, ihre Darstellung wirkt so transzendent, sie könnten Romeo und Julia spielen und das Publikum würde während der gesamten Aufführung schluchzen.Dass es sich bei dem Liebespaar um Halbbrüder handelt, wird dabei nicht untergraben, da die romantische Beziehung durch eindeutige geschwisterliche Konnotationen ergänzt wird.Die vielfach eingesetzte Slow-Motion-Technik und eine sich vermeindlich oft am Rande des Kitsch bewegende minimalistische Musik verweisen dabei in beinahe ironischer Weise auf Klischeedarstellungen des Telenovelastils.Auch die Schattenseite einer symbiotischen Beziehung wird sublim dargestellt. Ohne daraus ein großes Drama zu machen, finden die Aspekte pathologische Eifersucht, Unfreiheit und Abhängigkeit Einlass in die Beziehung der Halbbrüder.Durch Verzicht auf Erklärungen, moralische Wertungen, eine dramatische Handlung oder große Dialoge bietet der Film dem Zuschauer viel Raum für Projektion und Interpretation.Ein impressionistisches Meisterwerk mit großer humanistischer Aussage.Hinweis: Wie schon von anderen Rezensenten empfohlen, sollte der Film am besten im Original mit Untertiteln angesehen werden, da die Synchronstimmen die Charaktere teilweise leider sehr verfälschen.