This is a nice coming-of-age tale from Brazil starring Vincent Cassel, Camilla Belle & Laura Neiva. “Adrift” (“À Deriva”) tells the story of Filipa — a 14 year old girl whose parents are on the verge of splitting due to infidelities on both sides. The film follows her as she navigates the inherently difficult emotions attached with the disintegration of her family. Filipa’s primary conflict lies with her father. She catches his flirtation with a local beauty — going so far as to spy on them during their liaisons. Naturally, when combined with her already complicated age, the reaction is an awkward and dangerous rebellion. “Adrift” is beautifully shot and well acted — Laura Neiva was randomly discovered on Orkut (a social networking site) and is an instant star. Her performance is the primary reason to see the film. Cassel is typically powerful — the daring Frenchman never disappoints in his movies. I wish they had used the talented and beautiful Camilla Belle more. She is relegated to eye candy for the majority of the movie, but I would have liked to have seen more from that character. This is a quietly poignant film that probably needed a little more complexity and depth. As it stands, it is a nice find that deserves a look if you can stumble across it on DVD.
