Divine Love

Name: Divine Love
Genre: Sci-Fi, Drama
Released: November 13, 2020
Duration: 101 min
Rating: 86
Cast: Antonio Pastich, Clayton Mariano, Dira Paes, Emílio de Mello, Júlio Machado

2020

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 8 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Ratings

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7.3

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7.3	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Ratings

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Divine Love (US Trailer 1)

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Movie Details & Credits

Outsider Pictures | Release Date: November 13, 2020 | Not Rated

Starring: Antonio Pastich, Clayton Mariano, Dira Paes, Emílio de Mello, Júlio Machado, Luciano Mallmann, Mariana Nunes, Rubens Santos, Suzy Lopes, Teca Pereira, Thalita Carauta, Thardelly Lima, Tony Silva

Summary: Brazil, 2027. Joana (Dira Paes) uses her bureaucratic job to convince divorcing couples to stay together. Her secret weapon is Divine Love, an evangelical cult she belongs to that mixes in a little swinging and group fun into its more traditional prayers and services. Joana herself can’t seem to get pregnant by her own husband, but in anBrazil, 2027. Joana (Dira Paes) uses her bureaucratic job to convince divorcing couples to stay together. Her secret weapon is Divine Love, an evangelical cult she belongs to that mixes in a little swinging and group fun into its more traditional prayers and services. Joana herself can’t seem to get pregnant by her own husband, but in an attempt to save her own marriage, she prays regularly at a very unusual religious drive-in, looking for a miracle to help her conceive.… Expand

Director: Gabriel Mascaro

Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Drama

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 101 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Boyd van Hoeij

Feb 1, 2019

Gorgeously shot and produced, impressively acted and with a lot of fascinating things on its mind, this is yet further proof that the 35-year-old Mascaro is one of Brazil’s most audacious and gifted filmmakers of his generation. Read full review

Sarah Ward

Feb 1, 2019

Mascaro’s striking aesthetics give the film a texture and atmosphere that aligns the audience firmly with its protagonist; she’s seeking transcendence, and the movie she’s in approximates it one lustrous frame at a time. Read full review

Carlos Aguilar

Nov 13, 2020

With sci-fi touches and sanctimonious eroticism, the incisive satire intently takes on the influence of evangelical Christianity on the state — namely the far-right movement that elected populist Jair Bolsonaro. Read full review

The Film Stage Jordan Raup

Feb 1, 2019

Through his exquisite vision, Mascaro tells a curious tale of spiritual commitment, marital strife, and the blurred separation of church and state, leading to an ultimately surprising, powerful conclusion. Read full review

The Playlist Kevin Jagernauth

Feb 1, 2019

The drama engages with the ever-present theological question of how the faithful endure the silence of God during times of great suffering. But it also ponders the extremes the devout will go not only to receive an answer from on high, but proselytize in His name. Read full review

IndieWire Eric Kohn

Feb 1, 2019

No matter how much Mascaro reaches into the future, Divine Love retains an immediacy steeped in questions about the nature of faith, physical attraction, and the factors that can transform the personal into the political. Read full review

Anthony Ray Bench

Feb 1, 2019

Divine Love is beautifully shot and wonderfully acted, but for those who are on the religious persuasion it may be too blasphemous, and for those who do not subscribe to a defined religion, it may be too dogmatic and weird. Read full review

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User Reviews

Brent_Marchant

Nov 25, 2020

In a Brazil of the near future in which fundamentalist Christianity has insidiously ingratiated itself into what is still a supposedly secular state, elements of the church and its ideology have intrusively invaded virtually every aspect of everyday life, affecting the rights of everyone,In a Brazil of the near future in which fundamentalist Christianity has insidiously ingratiated itself into what is still a supposedly secular state, elements of the church and its ideology have intrusively invaded virtually every aspect of everyday life, affecting the rights of everyone, including non-believing "infidels." A society that has welcomed ecclesiastical discos and drive-through pastoral advice centers into its midst has also become one tinged with the faith's contemporary bureaucracy and beliefs about blasphemy. It's also one in which unbridled sexuality has been hypocritically rationalized into existence as part of its alleged sacred doctrines. But what happens when those "values" become toppled by unexpected and seemingly miraculous events that don't jibe with its dogma? That's what director Gabriel Mascaro's wickedly biting satire exposes, a humorous but stern cautionary tale of what can happen when religious conformity threatens to become so pervasive that it presents a clear and present danger to a nation's citizenry. As is the case with many of Mascaro's films, this offering includes a number of protracted and explicit sex sequences, so sensitive viewers be warned, but their inclusion is all part of the phony piety that goes into the rituals, practices and beliefs of a faith-based movement that essentially rings hollow and deserves to be exposed as such.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

tibzoid

Mar 27, 2021

This movie is hypnotic. To be sure, you have to be in the right mood to watch it, but don’t pass it up or dismiss it. I’m still thinking about it. The imagery, the music, the emotion — wow.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

bertobellamy

Mar 28, 2021

Gabriel Mascaro's new film is a letdown. I mean, the setting is intriguing: a future Brazil where religion has integrated into people's lives in some dangerous and unexpected ways. The film's problem is the twist involving the main character; this is supposed to be a satire, but I'm not sureGabriel Mascaro's new film is a letdown. I mean, the setting is intriguing: a future Brazil where religion has integrated into people's lives in some dangerous and unexpected ways. The film's problem is the twist involving the main character; this is supposed to be a satire, but I'm not sure if we can understand it as such by the end. You'll know why when you get to that point. But kudos for the excellent cinematography by the great Diego García: the new Mexican marvel in film.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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