Um Copo de Cólera (1999)

An attractive young journalist and a middle-aged recluse embark on a romantic rollercoaster ride of searing passion and bitter resentment in Um Copo de Cólera (1999). Artfully photographed, Aluisio Abranches’s experimental drama follows its male (Alexandre Borges) and female (Julia Lemmertz) protagonists through numerous highs and lows, observing how a night of carnal lust can be squashed by something as banal as a bit of necessary yard work. When this hot/cold drama heats up, however, there’s no stopping the luxurious Lemmertz, who services her man in all kinds of alluring scenarios.