It is clear that a Manoel De Oliveira film is not for everyone, not that he has ever tried. The cinema of this director is introspective, as it doesn't aim to please the masses. "Um Filme Falado", his 2003 satisfying movie, is perhaps one of his most accessible.<br /><br />When we first meet Rosa Maria, a university professor, who is embarking on a long trip to Bombay to join her husband for a vacation, we watch her on board with her daughter, Maria Joana, a beautiful child with an inquisitive mind. As the ship goes to the open sea, Rosa Maria is heard explaining to the girl the meaning of the monuments in Lisbon they are passing by.<br /><br />The next ports of call include Marseilles, Naples, Athens, Istambul, Cairo and Aden. In every place the ship stops Rosa Maria and Maria Joana take side trips to see the interesting sites that although touristy, they hold a special significance and serve to advance the story. After all, Rosa Maria being a teacher knows well what she is talking about. In each destination they encounter a kind person, like the Orthodox priest in the Parthenon, or the Portuguese actor by the Piramids.<br /><br />We also see in some of the ports of call a famous woman boarding the ship, but they don't appear until the last segment of the picture, when the captain, John Walesa, invites Rosa Maria and her daughter to join him at his table where Delphine, Francesca, and Helena, are sitting. Each woman talks in her native language, and yet, they all seem to understand what each one is saying. This serene moment doesn't prepare us for the surprise we are about to receive. Since we have no idea about what is coming, we remain in a state of shock because of the suddenness in how things happen. In a way, the film parallel life, as it is difficult to understand why things happen they way they do. Also, the fragility of life itself is examined by Mr. De Oliveira in his own peculiar way.<br /><br />The director has given us no inkling up to the last moment of the film that anything could be so totally wrong. The whole film has such a soothing quality and a peaceful beauty that when the unexpected happens we are caught completely unaware of it.<br /><br />Leonor Silveira has worked with Manoel De Oliveira extensively. She has such a regal presence in everything she does and her beauty is the no nonsense kind. Her Rosa Maria is perfect. John Malkovich and Catherine Deneuve have also worked with the director before, but this is not their film, they just happen to be there at the end. Stefania Sandrelli and Irene Papas are also featured in the film. Ms. Papas makes a wonderful impression as she sings to the delight of all the passengers and the viewers.<br /><br />"Um Filme Falado" shows a Manoel De Oliveira at his best. He has produced a gorgeous film that requires our undivided attention.