The Middle of the World (O Caminho das Nuvens) (2003)

58% of critics liked it
(12 reviews)
58% of users liked it
(470 ratings)

A father desperate to improve his family's circumstances takes them on an unusual journey in this drama from Brazil. Romão (Wagner Moura) is a truck driver who has fallen on hard times; illiterate and unable to find work at a living wage, Romão and his wife, Rose (Cláudia Abreu), decide to leave the… More A father desperate to improve his family's circumstances takes them on an unusual journey in this drama from Brazil. Romão (Wagner Moura) is a truck driver who has fallen on hard times; illiterate and unable to find work at a living wage, Romão and his wife, Rose (Cláudia Abreu), decide to leave the Northwestern provinces of Brazil and head east for Rio de Janeiro, which is 2,000 miles away. With no vehicle at their disposal, Romão, Rose, and their five children make the journey on bicycles. Along the way, they face physical and emotional hardship and bear witness to the many ways in which the nation they knew is changing. Romão also finds himself coming to a crossroads with his oldest son, Antônio (Ravi Ramos Lacerda), a teenager who has become openly defiant of his parents. O Caminho das Nuvens (aka The Middle of the World) was the first dramatic feature from documentary filmmaker Vincente Amorim. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 25 min.
Directed By: Vicente Amorim
Written By: David Franca Mendes
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Apr 9, 2004 Wide
On DVD: Apr 4, 2006
Studio: Film Movement

Critic Reviews

Michael Atkinson, Village Voice
A true Brazilian story of vague human-interest value ... gets a heavy-handed treatment.
Stephen Holden, New York Times
Wants to be both a realistic family drama and a mythical odyssey but lacks the substance to be much more than a vignette.
Marta Barber, Miami Herald
Where Middle of the World becomes more appealing is in showing life along the less-traveled roads of Brazil, a landscape of beauty and poverty, nomad lives and basic instincts in a determination to make the best of a lurid existence.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...the problem is, it's not terribly interesting.
Gabe Leibowitz, Film and Felt
A moving coming-of-age story that invokes memories of films such as Pixote (with significantly less violence) and The Bicycle Thief.
Ethan Alter, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Although the territory it covers is familiar, this Brazilian import, based on a true story, has its heart in the right place.
Kim Linekin, eye WEEKLY
Not one character seems like a fully realized human being, let alone a likeable one.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
The Middle of the World is an unusual road movie that celebrates the virtues of family solidarity and the enjoyment of simple pleasures.
Phil Hall, Film Threat
Dull.
Robin Clifford, Reeling Reviews
"The Middle of the World" has such a strong sense of adventurous spirit that is should cross into venues other than just the Spanish language market.
Laura Clifford, Reeling Reviews
a warm portrait of a family linked strongly by love under arduous circumstances
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
Não são todos os filmes que conseguem despertar tanto interesse por seus personagens - algo que esta produção indubitavelmente faz.