Primos [Cousins] **** (2019, Thiago Cazado, Paulo Sousa, Juliana Zancanaro) – Classic Movie Review 12,680

The 2019 Brazilian comedy drama film Cousins tells the charming story of a gay teen romance in a hyper-religious household. Director Thiago Cazado recalls: ‘I wanted to make a love story that defied moral standards. Something fun, with a happy ending.’

The 2019 Primos [Cousins] is an extraordinarily sweet, charming, warm, good-natured Brazilian comedy drama film, a little bit sexy in places, a little bit daft in places, a little bit with something on its mind in places, and overall just plain very, very nice.

Paulo Sousa plays young Lucas, who lives with his charitable, religious-minded Aunt Lourdes (Juliana Zancanaro) in a quiet Brazilian country town. He helps his hyper-devout aunt by playing hymns on his keyboard for their weekly church meetings in the living room and teaches the instrument to a crazy, sex-starved young woman, forced to fend off her persistent, increasingly inappropriate advances.

But then the aunt suddenly announces the imminent arrival of another, previously unknown nephew Mario (Thiago Cazado), just out of jail, and their life changes radically. Mario can’t go back home because his abusive father has rejected him. Just before Mario arrives for what’s supposed to be a short stay. Lourdes leaves on a trip and leaves the boys alone to their own devices.

Lucas is at first a bit put out. He has to share his bedroom with the stranger. But soon he is sharing more than his bedroom and the two are not strangers any more. The boys really believe in making hay while the sun shines. Just to clear things up, Mario has been in jail for a couple of weeks over a mixup, and he is Lucas’s second or third cousin.

A tale of kissing cousins, then. All set for a happy ending?

Astonishingly, it works on four levels: the sweet gay romance of Lucas and Mario, the uninhibited, hot sex scenes, the easy-going comedy connected mostly with the aunt and the music pupil, and the well-aimed attack on the hypocrisies of the local religious minded and the local homophobic bigots. It’s far from easy to put all this into one soup, mix carefully and serve it successfully, but Primos [Cousins] does it.

In one way it all comes down to the chemistry between Thiago Cazado and Paulo Sousa, and the two guys have it big time, twinkling away like little stars. But in another way, they don’t have it all their own way. Juliana Zancanaro is pretty much brilliant as the politely drinking smoking, swearing religious-minded aunt, with a few surprises up her sleeve. All three actors, like the film, are charming.

Thiago Cazado also writes and co-directs (with Mauro Carvalho).

The cast are Thiago Cazado as Mario Hantz, Paulo Sousa as Lucas Hantz, Juliana Zancanaro as Aunt Lourdes, Duda Esteves as Julia, and Denis Camargo as Emilio.

Cousins is directed by Thiago Cazado and Mauro Carvalho, and is written by Thiago Cazado.

Release date: 29 May 2019.

Running time: 83 minutes.

Language: Portuguese.

Thiago Cazado recalls: ‘I wanted to make a love story that defied moral standards. But I wanted to do this in a light way that ended well. Something fun, with a happy ending. I hope people have a good time, that they can laugh, identify, be inspired to believe in love, believe that we can be who we are, love who we want, and be loved by our family. I hope people realise that hypocrisy and lack of understanding will never win.’

© Derek Winnert 2023 – Classic Movie Review 12,680

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