Verônica

Verônica is a teacher in Rio de Janeiro whose own life is coming apart: she is caring for her father, her relationship is over, and she is questioning her work. A boy in her class stops coming to school. She decides to take him home and goes to the favela. There she learns that the boy's parents were killed by a drug gang and that the gang is looking for him. Verônica takes the boy and runs. Maurício Farias builds a crime thriller while really looking at where responsibility lies: how far can a teacher take a child on, and where is the state. The narrative does not use the favelas of Rio as scenery. Andréa Beltrão plays Verônica and the film rests almost entirely on her. Marco Ricca is also in the cast. Who it's for: Viewers who like Brazilian crime cinema, thrillers built on a single character, and social drama. Who it's not for: The violence is harsh and what the child is exposed to is hard to watch. The narrative also reaches no resolution.