Me You Them

Not that you could tell that to Hollywood, which only deems to make an "Erin Brockovich" or a "Straight Story" every couple of years and consigns many similarly worthy tales to television movie-of-the-week status.

Fortunately, foreign and independent filmmakers are at least a little smarter, which is why we get a handful of little gems each year like the comedy-drama "Me You Them." And even though it takes some liberties with the "true" story (certain characters were combined and new ones were created — in order to make it more "dramatic"), there's still an odd ring of truth to this Brazilian import. And it helps that the film manages to find so many appealing, compelling characters — especially when most big-budget Hollywood movies can't even find one.

Even though this is an ensemble piece, the film's focus is squarely on one person — Darlene (Regina Case), a Brazilian woman with some odd notions about marriage and personal relationships.

She left home at an early age (because she was pregnant) and has only now returned in time for her mother's funeral. Now, she's in something of a bind — and she has a small child — so she quickly agrees to marry Osias (Lima Duarte), an aging goat-herder eager to have a family.

The arrangement is simple: He will provide shelter, and she will provide the cooking, cleaning and other services. Darlene also bears him a child, though there's some question of the boy's parentage, considering his hue (which is much darker than that of his "father").

There's more than just one new face in their home, though. Osias' devoted cousin, Zezinho (Stenio Garcia) moves in with them and assumes the cooking duties — among other things (Darlene bears him a child as well). As that's not complicated enough, Darlene begins seeing a fellow plantation worker, the younger and considerably more appealing Ciro (Luis Carlos Vasconcelos).

You can probably tell where the story goes from there, yet despite some predictability, it's a promising second feature for director Andrucha Wallington, a pupil of filmmaker Walter Salles. He does a good job of choosing when to play things dramatically and comedically, and he never rushes the pace. He's also fortunate to have a cast that consists of veteran film and television actors.

Especially impressive is Case, who is so popular in her own country that she's been called Brazil's version of Oprah. Her performance has the right amount of charm and feistiness, which would help explain why the male characters fall at her feet.

"Me You Them" is rated PG-13 for simulated sex, a handful of mild profanities and some crude sex talk. Running time: 107 minutes.

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E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com