Aquarius

This quietly absorbing Brazilian drama features an outstanding performance from Sonia Braga, who is so natural and authentic that you forget you're watching an actress performing. She plays Clara, a stubborn, ageing widow who lives in a beachfront apartment building. In fact, Clara is the only person who lives there, since all the other apartments have been acquired by a construction company who want to renovate the building. The company can't proceed until they own every apartment, but Clara refuses to sell, and no amount of money is going to change her mind. That's the basic premise of Aquarius, which might be a little slow for some viewers, who might be further tested by its long running time. Still, Braga is absolutely wonderful, and her performance helps to create an intimate, vivid, beautifully observed character study that gradually draws you in.