"Um Homem Sério" ("A Serious Man") takes its basis from an 1883 short story written by Machado de Assis revolving on a polka composer very
admired by the public with his popular compositions but his real dream was to be known as a classical composer. The short film takes the idea of a famous
personality struggling to be recognised as something different, in this case the comic actor Hilário Pestana (Ary França) wants to be a serious actor playing
drama, but the goal simply doesn't succeed at all since audiences already got used to see him playing funny and clumsy characters who always deliver a memorable
catch-phrase ("É ruim de ser").
Pestana's tragic-comical story is a mockumentary that chronicles his life, career and tragic death, but all of the events are told with a great sense of humor.
França is a first-class comedy actor, movie audiences will remember him best for his amazing role in "Durval Discos". Here, the actor playing the actor who lived the
golden era of Brazilian comedies in the studios Vera Cruz and Atlântica seems to spoof the likes of Oscarito and similar comedians of the period. The whole film
feels like an historical analysis on the cinema period that goes from the 1950's to the 1980's, with the rise and fall of genres, studio system, and the main character's
trajectory while trying to establish himself as a serious actor rather than the popular clownish type. Not necessarily a reality since most comical names from the period
hardly ever tried to become dramatic actors; this idea worked mostly in Hollywood and a few other places, and now is more common for comedy actors try a genre switch either
to get awards or prove themselves as talented in whatever style they work.
A great improvement to the material written by Machado (who was a genius of writing) but it grabs the true essence of the original material: of artists trying to become something they're not, trying to prove to the world they can be different, maybe better. The film is highly humored, with one moment better than the other, and
you get easily invested in the tragic story of a man who wanted to show a different side of his but the public simply didn't want the same. The footage of the
unreleased "Hamlet", as Pestana's co-star keeps bursting into laughter as he plays the famous monologue is hysterical, just as the imitation of chanchadas for which
he was popular. But it's the very last scene that had me dying for minutes. Hands down, one of the funniest short film I've ever seen. 10/10.
