Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands (1976)

Crappy film

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

It is both painfully honest and laugh-out-loud funny at the same time.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

When I first saw it, it was one of the most sexiest movies I had ever seen. Sonia Braga back in the late seventies was a beautiful woman and now as a 57 year old she still has that look. After seeing the movie I wanted to see more of Brazil, so much I went to Rio. I was not disappointed. From very rich ex-patriot Germans to super poor mixed race Brazilians, it was an eye opener. Brazilian women were so sexy in dress and manner but don't let the eye candy fool you. There character was top rate. As one Brazilian woman put it, "We dress like this because we celebrate life and sex, but to get these pants off a wedding ring is the key."

As a confirmed Brazilophile who has visited that charming country many times, I can easily affirm that this film will come as close as any other to providing you with the authentic flavor of Brazil. What keeps this from being a really good film is its essential silliness. Another reviewer has recapitulated the plot fairly well, so I don't need to do that here. Suffice it to say that I don't find it incomprehensible that Flor would put up with her first husband's peccadillos as the price for passionate sex. What I do find incomprehensible is that a woman as passionate as Flor would put up with her second husband's ineptitude at lovemaking. He wears both his pajamas and his underwear to bed and keeps them on when he makes love, and she keeps her nightgown on as well. Why doesn't she rip all of the clothes off and teach him something? Oh well..........

Sonia Braga's beauty and charm is sure to captivate most male viewers of this film, but even they will probably notice that the whole thing DRAGS along at a slow-as-molasses pacing and feels incomplete, as if the filmmakers couldn't come up with a truly satisfying ending. The basic story is clever, but I'm afraid this film too often borders on boredom. (**1/2)

Dona Flor, Sonia Braga, ( The Kiss of the Spider Woman and Robert Redford; Milagro Beanfield War) is married to Vadinho, José Wilker ( well known Brazilian Soapopera star). Vadinho likes women and Flor is a subservient wife who gives cooking lessons because she is well known in town for her good cooking. Vadinho never misses a chance to flirt and even to touch other women in front of Flor, who never catches him. Flor is great denial because she loves him and they have a great sex life. Vadinho dies. She remarries the town pharmacist, Mauro Mendonça (another famous Soap opera actor) who is a complete prude. Vadinho then begins to show up as a ghost, and keeps making fun of her prude husband. Well many funny moments of great laughter. Based on a book by Jorge Amado, one of the foremost Brazilian writers ( Gabriela, Cravo e Canela), this is a fun plot and very much into the Brazilian culture. You must give Vadinho a break at the beginning of the movie because machismo is somewhat accepted in the Latin culture, and as the plot develops his machismo will make you laugh. Well directed by Bruno Barreto, who directed ( Four Days in September) movie that was nominated for an Oscar as Best Foreign Film in 1988, Dona Flor will give great insights into Brazilian culture and a flavor to taste Brazilian food. Very spice, and fun Movie. I highly recommend!