Watch Trabalhar Cansa
- NR
- 2015
- 1 hr 39 min
-
6.5 (925)
Trabalhar Cansa, also known as Hard Labor, is a Brazilian drama film that was released in 2011. The movie was directed by Marco Dutra and Juliana Rojas, with writing credits also going to the duo. The film follows the life of Helena (Helena Albergaria), a woman who lives in a small town in Brazil with her husband, Otavio (Marat Descartes), and their young daughter, Vanessa (Naloana Lima). Helena is a maid who works for wealthy families in the town, and her life is a daily routine of cooking, cleaning, and caring for her daughter.
One day, Helena is fired from her job by her employer, who accuses her of stealing a valuable object from the house. Despite her protests and denials, Helena loses the job and struggles to find another one. In the meantime, Otavio starts his own business, but finds it difficult to make it profitable.
The couple's financial situation becomes increasingly dire, and they are forced to move into a rundown apartment in a rough neighborhood. As they try to make ends meet, they begin to experience strange occurrences in their new home. Helena starts to see and hear things that she cannot explain, and she becomes convinced that the apartment is haunted.
As the film progresses, Helena's mental state deteriorates, and she becomes increasingly obsessed with the idea that the apartment is haunted. Otavio, on the other hand, is more concerned with the practicalities of their situation, and tries to find a way out of their financial troubles.
Trabalhar Cansa is a slow-burning drama that focuses on the everyday struggles of a working-class family in Brazil. The film is shot in a naturalistic style, with long takes and minimal music, which adds to the sense of realism.
The performances in the film are excellent, particularly those of Helena Albergaria and Marat Descartes. Albergaria manages to convey a sense of increasing desperation and paranoia as the film progresses, while Descartes is convincing as the hardworking husband who is torn between his love for his wife and his desire to provide for his family.
The film also explores themes of class, race, and gender, as we see how the wealthy families that Helena works for treat her with disdain and disrespect, and how Otavio struggles to assert his masculinity in the face of economic hardship.
Overall, Trabalhar Cansa is a moving and thought-provoking film that offers a powerful indictment of the inequalities and struggles faced by working-class families in Brazil. It is a film that will stay with you long after the credits have rolled.