The Best Mother in the World (Brasil, 2025)
Original title: A Melhor Mãe do Mundo
Director: Anna Muylaert
Screenplay: Anna Muylaert, Grace Passô e Mariana Jaspe
Main cast: Shirley Cruz, Seu Jorge, Rihanna Barbosa, Benin Ayo, Katiuscia Canoro and Rejane Faria
Running time: 105 minutes
The opening scene in The Best Mother in the World is very impactful. We have a woman, Gal (Shirley Cruz), who has visibly suffered a physical assault and is going through the process of reporting it at a police station. Without even being able to speak properly about what happened, the oppression is already clear at that initial moment: in addition to the class difference between her and the police officer, the latter insists on reminding her that the opening of a police report could not be undone in the future, discouraging the act. This woman, who after speaking twenty sentences, is clearly going through the structural violence of being poor in Brazil, goes through yet another oppressive experience.
The following scenes serve to get to know this woman a little better, far from that specific place, but going through the same type of oppression. Whether it is going through the human-grinding machine that is São Paulo, where she works as a recyclable material collector, or taking her children from the house where her attacker lives, her courage and good humor despite the difficulties are highlighted. Even though she ends up fitting into a stereotype, the character and her children Rihanna (Rihanna Barbosa) and Benin (Benin Ayo) have enough personality for the story to unfold without it bothering viewers. And this unfolding, as imagined, happens as Gal searches for her place in the world, trying to understand and find herself after the end of an abusive relationship.
Shirley’s performance is an element that stands out from the opening scene, but remains equally incredible throughout the film. From the scenes with a lot of physicality needed, like carrying a full cart, to the few moments of tenderness that the character is allowed, the actress excellently conveys the pains and small joys of being this woman. Rihanna and Benin also prove to be very suited, managing to bring more lightness to scenes that would otherwise be difficult to digest. Duality continues to accompany Gal throughout her journey, and this is reflected in the company she finds along the way. No one she meets is completely good or bad, showing that there are great people who lack opportunities, and terrible people who just need a chance to show their terrible intentions.
Another highlight is the poetic photography by Lílis Soares, who already showed her talent in Mami Wata (2023) and who repeats the feat here. The simplest scenes, like the woman walking with her cart and her children through a city that is normally completely unaware of her presence, are constructed in such a way as to show drama without having to say a word. Thus, when the film often uses words to reinforce ideas that are already on screen because of these images, it becomes somewhat repetitive and loses part of its strength by creating a pamphlet-like discourse, which is understandable in a very conservative Brazil, but which does not benefit the feature film.
Thus, Anna Muylaert manages to bring to the screen yet another invisible story of our country, even though we all know a Gal. Returning to a rhetoric similar to that of The Second Mother (Que Horas Ela Volta?, 2015), her biggest success to date, the director manages to bring these complex and extremely Brazilian characters to an international audience.
