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Me - You - Them (Eu-Tu-Eles)
Columbia/Tri-Star // PG-13 // September 25, 2001
List Price: $29.95 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
Me-You-Them (original title Eu-Tu-Eles) offers a very unconventional and distinctive slice of life from rural Brazil. Apart from the occasional dance, life in Darlene's small town offers little apart from grueling labor. The only solace lies in relationships with other people who can share the joys and sorrows of the daily struggle to survive. Darlene (Regina Casé) finds herself yearning for something or someone who can give her happiness, passion, and true companionship. Over the years, her restless spirit gives her four sons by four different fathers, but the questions is still open as to whether she has found what she really needs.
This movie is certainly not a typical love story. In her relationships, first with Osias (Lima Duarte), then with his cousin Zezinho (Stênio Garcia), and finally with a handsome drifter (Luiz Carlos Vasconcelos), Darlene and her lovers don't follow any conventional ideas about love or jealousy. Are they happy? Are their relationships healthy? That's a matter for the viewer to consider, but certainly the film does point out that people can find many and varied ways of arranging their lives.
While it's not exactly downbeat, Me-You-Them is not particularly cheerful, either, despite the way that the DVD cover art implies a relatively upbeat film. It's certainly not a comedy; while the film ventures into the absurd at times in its situations, everything is kept within the bounds of a harsh realism. Darlene and the other characters suffer, often terribly, by the harshness of the life that they live and the choices that they must make for their children.
Possibly because it was based on a true story, Me-You-Them doesn't seem to have much of a direction. The characters are engaging enough that it kept me watching, but at the same time, I couldn't help wondering "where is this movie heading?" (a question that I never found an answer to). The ending doesn't provide a typical closure for the story, either; just as the film opens when Darlene is already struggling in her life, the film closes with her still facing the ongoing challenge of holding her relationships together.
Video
Me-You-Them looks quite respectable in its DVD transfer. The film is presented in anamorphic 2.35:1 widescreen, with very little noise in the image. Colors are bright and vibrant, showing off both the vivid reddish-orange dirt and blue sky of the setting and the natural skin tones of the actors with fidelity. Contrast is satisfactory overall, though a few darker scenes aren't as good as I'd hope for.
Audio
The soundtrack has received a good treatment as well; it's generally very clear, with a good balance of the voices and the music track. The Dolby 5.1 Portuguese track makes effective use of the surround capability, including the rear channels. Surround effects aren't used heavily, but are used consistently for minor but effective touches like insects chirping and music playing in the background.
In addition to the Portuguese 5.1 track, there's also an option for a French Dolby 2.0 dubbed track. Optional subtitles are available in English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Thai.
Extras
Me-You-Them's menus are colorful, themed to the movie, and, most importantly, very easy to navigate through.
The main special feature offered on this DVD is a director's audio commentary, which is presented in English. Other extras are trailers, filmographies, and a pan-and-scan version of the film.
Final thoughts
Me-You-Them is worth watching, if you're in the mood for something different. I didn't find that it had enough substance to merit a place in my collection, though I did enjoy seeing it, so I'd say that it's a good choice as a rental before buying.
This movie is certainly not a typical love story. In her relationships, first with Osias (Lima Duarte), then with his cousin Zezinho (Stênio Garcia), and finally with a handsome drifter (Luiz Carlos Vasconcelos), Darlene and her lovers don't follow any conventional ideas about love or jealousy. Are they happy? Are their relationships healthy? That's a matter for the viewer to consider, but certainly the film does point out that people can find many and varied ways of arranging their lives.
While it's not exactly downbeat, Me-You-Them is not particularly cheerful, either, despite the way that the DVD cover art implies a relatively upbeat film. It's certainly not a comedy; while the film ventures into the absurd at times in its situations, everything is kept within the bounds of a harsh realism. Darlene and the other characters suffer, often terribly, by the harshness of the life that they live and the choices that they must make for their children.
Possibly because it was based on a true story, Me-You-Them doesn't seem to have much of a direction. The characters are engaging enough that it kept me watching, but at the same time, I couldn't help wondering "where is this movie heading?" (a question that I never found an answer to). The ending doesn't provide a typical closure for the story, either; just as the film opens when Darlene is already struggling in her life, the film closes with her still facing the ongoing challenge of holding her relationships together.
Video
Me-You-Them looks quite respectable in its DVD transfer. The film is presented in anamorphic 2.35:1 widescreen, with very little noise in the image. Colors are bright and vibrant, showing off both the vivid reddish-orange dirt and blue sky of the setting and the natural skin tones of the actors with fidelity. Contrast is satisfactory overall, though a few darker scenes aren't as good as I'd hope for.
Audio
The soundtrack has received a good treatment as well; it's generally very clear, with a good balance of the voices and the music track. The Dolby 5.1 Portuguese track makes effective use of the surround capability, including the rear channels. Surround effects aren't used heavily, but are used consistently for minor but effective touches like insects chirping and music playing in the background.
In addition to the Portuguese 5.1 track, there's also an option for a French Dolby 2.0 dubbed track. Optional subtitles are available in English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Thai.
Extras
Me-You-Them's menus are colorful, themed to the movie, and, most importantly, very easy to navigate through.
The main special feature offered on this DVD is a director's audio commentary, which is presented in English. Other extras are trailers, filmographies, and a pan-and-scan version of the film.
Final thoughts
Me-You-Them is worth watching, if you're in the mood for something different. I didn't find that it had enough substance to merit a place in my collection, though I did enjoy seeing it, so I'd say that it's a good choice as a rental before buying.
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