Tempos Idos is a beautiful, messy drift through the past

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, it depends on if you're in the mood to do the work. Tempos Idos is not going to hold your hand or explain why anyone is sad. If you like stuff like The Lady where the atmosphere does all the heavy lifting, you'll probably dig it. If you need a plot that actually goes somewhere, stay far away. You will be bored to tears.

The whole thing feels like a dream you had on a Tuesday afternoon. Guilherme Carvalho has this look on his face for half the movie—like he just remembered he left the stove on three years ago. It’s a great look, really. It tells you everything you need to know without a single line of dialogue.

Oddly specific observations:

• There is a scene involving a broken chair that goes on for way too long. It’s awkward. I loved it.
• The sound design? Sometimes it’s just the wind. Other times, it’s like they recorded a lawnmower from three blocks away. It’s jarring.
• Giovana Dias Costa wears this yellow sweater in the second act that seems to have a life of its own. It’s brighter than the entire rest of the film combined.

Silvio Oliveira Barnabe shows up halfway through, and the energy shifts immediately. He brings this frantic, nervous tic that feels out of place with the rest of the sleepy cast. It’s like he walked in from a different movie entirely. Maybe Dead Eye Jeff? He's trying so hard to wake everyone up, but the movie just refuses to play along.

I found myself staring at the background extras more than the main actors at one point. There’s a guy in a cafe scene who is clearly just waiting for his shift to end. He keeps checking his watch. It’s more interesting than the conversation happening in the foreground.

The camera work has this shaky, hand-held vibe that works until it doesn't. Sometimes it’s intimate, like you’re sitting at the table with them. Other times, it feels like the cameraman was just trying to find a comfortable place to stand. It’s imperfect. That’s why it works.

There isn't a grand finale. The movie just sort of... stops. Like it ran out of film or the actors just decided they were done. It’s a bit frustrating, but I think that’s the point. Memories don't have neat little endings, do they? They just fade into something else.

It’s not a masterpiece. It’s not even trying to be. It’s just a mood. Sometimes that’s enough. ☕