SoftInloveRox Horrible, fascist and poorly acted

Inadvands Boring, over-political, tech fuzed mess

Adeel Hail Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

Janae Milner Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

preppy-3 Brazilian film about the love between two men. The problem is they're brothers. The film begins when they're young kids. You see the love between them growing and developing. Then it cuts to about 20 years later. They're both still in love and having a sexual relationship. Then one of them who is a swimmer gets an offer to compete in the Olympics...but he has to go to Russia to train for three years. Will he go and, if he does, can their love survive?Absolutely gorgeous movie. The cinematography is beautiful with a pounding music score to match. Both of the lead actors--Rafael Cardoso and Joao Gabriel Vasconcellos--are VERY handsome and have great bodies. Also they play off each other incredibly well. However I didn't buy this completely. For one thing it's quite obvious that these guys are not brothers. They don't even resemble each other! For another I had a hard time believing that their parents accepted their sexual relationship with absolutely no problem whatsoever. Also the incest angle is barely dealt with. Not much sex or nudity either. The one big nude scene is shot from a distance and the one bedroom scene is erotic but not explicit. Slowly paced too. But the movie is beautiful to watch and the two leads are hot. Slightly recommended.

ChicoraSaltyDog "From Beginning to End" is a lush, slow paced study of the subject of incest. The story does not present itself with horns blaring and sirens screaming, but rather goes beneath the surface of such artificial stereotype to showcase how love grows. Brothers can be close and often an older brother is charged to 'look out for' his younger sibling by their parents. This film goes well beyond that premise but not in a sensational way. The relationship of the brothers as youngsters is given ample exposure and sensitivity. The viewer is allowed into the their world and their understanding of themselves and each other. The male lead actors bring endearing skill and stirring emotion to their portrayals. The younger actors lay a brilliant groundwork which the adult actors bring to fulfillment as the characters reach adulthood. The naturalness of their closeness isn't forced, nor beyond comprehension. They belong to each other, together. It was a joy to watch these characters grow and develop and yes, love. Sensual and inspiring, you'll want to watch it again and again.

showtrmp I'm not sure what to make of this film. It is undoubtedly the most romantic portrait of homosexual male incest ever put on the screen. The two (half) brothers in question stare tenderly at each other almost every second, say things like, "To understand our love, they'd have to turn the world upside down", and even exchange wedding rings (!!!). The film approves so much of this relationship that the only drama it can find is one brother's opportunity to study in Russia for the Olympics, which will separate him from his paramour for three years. There's some mild suspense as to whether this hiatus will push one or both brothers into a more socially acceptable (homo or hetero) sex life, then a rather abrupt ending. While it is refreshing that the movie avoids the usual Lifetime TV melodramatic approach ("We just...couldn't...STOP!!!"), it's rather bizarre that the brothers' relatives and friends never protest or even ask uncomfortable questions; everyone else in the movie just wants to avoid the subject. And the structure compounds the problem; the movie lingers on "poetic", eventually redundant scenes of the boys' childhood (long after we get the idea) then suddenly leaps forward several years (killing off two principal characters) to the start of their sexual relationship--we never really see the decision made, and the moment of no return seems to happen between scenes. The subject is raised, then glossed over with golden cinematography and a near-constant underscoring of "tasteful" neo-classical mood music (i.e., much piano noodling cushioned by aching strings) which stops at crucial moments. Is it seemly for an incest movie to be so inoffensive?

gradyharp FROM BEGINNING TO END (Do Começo ao Fim) is the work of writer/director Aluzio Abranches who was born and raised in Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He graduated in Economics before going to the London International Film School, in 1983. His first feature- film, 'Um Copo de Cólera' (1999) was acclaimed in several international film festivals. In 2002 his second feature-film, As três Marias (The Three Marias) also was selected to various festivals abroad. His latest movie, 'Do Começo ao Fim' (From Beginning to End) tells a story about two male half-brothers who fall in love. The movie caused tremendous controversy as some people loved the delicate relationship between them and others who were outraged by the suggestion of incest. Nevertheless, it is undeniable it was groundbreaking for the homosexual Brazilian cinematography, being selected to over 25 international film festivals, many of them dedicated to the gay pride and film production.Though the feelings of viewers continues to be quite mixed, hopefully in time the film as an art work will be better appreciated. It is an exquisite study of family in a different light than any other film has probed. Julieta (Júlia Lemmertz) is currently married to Alexandre (Fábio Assunção) and they have a child Thomás who according to the narrator - the half brother Francisco from Julieta's previous marriage to Pedro (Jean Pierre Noher) - was born with his eyes closed and kept them closed except for looking at his new brother. Into this loving atmosphere the two brothers are close, enjoying each other's company in play and adventures and proximity. Francisco as a child is played by Lucas Cotrim and Thomás as a child is played by Gabriel Kaufmann. Thomás idolizes his big brother and Francisco looks to Thomás for secure love. The boys visit Pedro (Francisco's father) in Buenos Aires at Christmas and Pedro discusses with Julieta that he is concerned that the boys are too close, a fact that Julieta acknowledges but assures Pedro that this is normal in boys their age. At home in Rio de Janeiro Alexandre poses the same concern, but the two young boys are so happy and successful in school and sports that the subject is dropped. Pedro dies, then Julieta dies, and the two now grown young lads have only their shared father Alexandre to parent them. As young very handsome, athletic men Francisco (now played by João Gabriel Vasconcellos) and Thomás ( Rafael Cardosa) are left alone in their home and their relationship deepens into a physical one. The lads deeply love each other and their physical love is as wondrously portrayed as their love as half brothers. They exchange rings. They both are dedicated swimmers, but Thomás is better and is offer to go to Russia to train for the Olympics. The idea of separation deeply troubles them both, but Francisco's love for Thomás sees the importance to his brothers career and off Thomás goes to Russia. While the lads are separated they yearn for each other: Francisco attempts to assuage his longing with a young girl but his commitment to Thomás is stronger. The film ends in a statement of commitment and love between these two extraordinary men.The physical aspects of the relationship are beautifully captured in the sensitive cinematography by Ueli Steiger: the acts are passionate but visually subtle. The musical score by André Abujamra adds another realm of power to the story's character. Each of the actors in the film is excellent. It is rare that broken family stories have been shared with such grace and delicacy. And both Vasconcellos and Cardoso seem to have a fine career ahead of them.FROM BEGINNING TO END should not be labeled as a gay film even though it allows the viewer to see the power of same sex relationships in a beautifully described new light. This is, simply, a fine film and Aluzio Abranches deserves kudos for his accomplishment. Grady Harp