The charm and joy of "Bom Dia, Eternidade" ("Good Morning, Eternity") goes like a switcher (on/off) to keep audiences watching the movie when the story
is about to take some sad turns. Rogério de Moura's only film as a director has a special charm that makes us invested in it, but the problem is that
his actual goal takes way too long to happen, and when it's time for audiences to reflect upon the characters motivations and actions, we feel that
there's something deeper missing.
Like many films revolving the national passion Brazilian have for soccer, this is about a nostalgic fictional soccer player named Clementino
(João Acaiabe), who was on the bench during the 1958 World Cup when Brazil won its first title. He's fond of those days - despite not playing at the
Cup - as it's the only thing left in his life now, half-paralyzed due to a stroke and whose wife (Zezé Motta) takes care of him and endures his childish
tantrums. At his birthday, he's greeted by old comrades (José Vasconcelos, Antônio Pitanga and Renato Consorte) who take him for a car ride, attend
several places and fight with each other over old memories.
By that time, a whole half-hour had passed and that's when the movie decides to come alive with something extra special: Clementino wakes up and
the stroke effects were gone, the man is happy and moving again. Fantasy kicks in as each day goes by he loses a few decades, becoming younger, enjoying playing soccer
again and partying hard with samba and drinks. But someone's not happy in seeing the young man again: his wife doesn't understand what's going on, and it's
probably afraid of losing him for another woman, as it happened once when he had an affair with her sister (that character appears through visions from the
wife and it takes some time too figure out she's not dead, it's more like fights of the conscience).
What's the aim behind "Bom Dia, Eternidade"? A man has a second chance to return to the good living he once had but almost nothing changes, even
considering that he's no longer living in the 1950's, this is the early 2000's. Old style soccer competing with a more aggressive and the man's a local
champ again? Well, the wonders of fantasy, I mean, this is Benjamin Button before that movie came out (this was filmed first but released later. Fincher
wins). There's almost nothing of a critical exhamination about his actions as a new man again, except an encounter with a homeless drunk comrade of his
heyday. Nothing downer comes his way, except dealing with his wife and the new outcomes that come when he gets younger by the minute.
It's a very simplistic, paper-thin and flat movie when it comes to show a serious side of a weird situation, and the comedy works for a little
while without sustaining the story or the actors for too long. Zezé Motta was an interesting driving force in the story, and had the movie been about
the soccer player wife we'd have a cool drama to follow; Clementino's friends are also a treat to watch, a group of fun old-timers who try to cheer up
his friend.
In the end, it's an almost enjoyable film; but without depth and with the excessive cliches related with has been soccer players it's all a
series of fantastic moments trapped within itself, and fantasy needs to have some grasp with reality for audiences reflect upon it. With this one, I just
couldn't accept it. 5/10.
