IFFK Assignment - Pacarette Review

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A powerhouse performance from Marcelia Cartaxo makes ‘Pacarette’ an instant classic.

The Allen Deberton-directed Pacarette explores the conflict of understanding one’s relevance in a world that changes its taste and perceptions with time. Pacarette is a ballet dancer. Now old and past her prime, but sadly unaware of it. She desperately wants to enjoy the importance like in her heyday. The tale of Pacarette unfolds as she plans to perform on her town’s 200th anniversary party and redeem her glory. Still fit like a 20-year-old, the unending love towards dancing makes her vain and act crazy all the time.


  


The film’s biggest attraction is Marcelia Cartaxo as Pacarette. Her act never goes overboard even when the character is eccentric for the most part. As the film progresses, the character faces a slump which demands the actor to underplay varying emotions as well. With a trim figure and perfect makeup, Cartaxo plays it to perfection. The dance numbers are finely choreographed to aid the narration without interrupting the flow. Comical elements are abundant in the story and they have come out really well.The rest of the characters are also integral to the story’ s development. Pacarette lives with her ailing sister Chiquinha and their servant Maria. She doubts whether the dear ones still believe in her talent and picks up fights with them. Miguel, another admirer and a confectionary store owner regularly sorts them out and loosens her up. Pacarette often flirts with him passionately. She brings home a poodle and names him ‘He-man’. He-Man is referred to as her son and even a crib is bought for him to sleep in. Other aspects like her strange obsession with a sidewalk, further reveal the true adoring self of Pacarette behind all the absurdity.

Although a reminder that time can be cruel to any proficient artist, the spectacular ending scene stands alone to state the unfading greatness of the art. With a crisp runtime of 97 minutes, Pacarette engages the viewer till the end.

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