A Herdade / The Domain (2019, Portugal/France, Tiago Guedes)
A cigar dangling from his mouth, constantly. A drink in hand, always.
Changing political situation. Secret handshakes and not so secret allegiances.
A man haunted by his past and caught in the middle. In the middle of something he doesn’t understand.
The territory covered by A Herdade (The Domain) isn’t new but a polished stylish look and an arresting performance by João Fernandes as the constantly tormented character of Albano Jerónimo does make it a worthy viewing. Watching Albano pour himself another drink, after another drink, brought to mind Mad Men’s Don Draper (Jon Hamm). However, Don was able to smile and enjoy himself a little bit given his character had seven seasons to get through plenty of highs and lows. On the other hand, Albano has just under three hours to navigate through decades of multigenerational issues and political deals. No wonder his character is constantly crushed and unable to bear the burden of promises and issues caused by others. Of course, he is to blame as well but like other similar cinematic men before him, he chooses the road that was destined for him by birth.
The film is bookended by images which complete a circle that was meant for Albano. In the end, he returns to where he was meant to, to a location where his father and brother rolled the dice which would decide Albano’s fate. Albano has plenty of chances to take another path but that would be another movie.
