Just saw the movie and was touched and traumatized. Beautifully made and very realistic. At first I got the idea of a visionary hard working father that wants to provide for his wife and children,soon to find out he is not...Those 5 kids just wonderful! All 5 of them! I loved the way they would all take turns caring for their little brother... The way they sang together with their mom in the middle of nowhere...and making the best out of the circumstances. Enjoyed the "rebel" on the older son and his failures...The mother was very talented just a bit too naive and submissive...maybe too in love with the looser... What did not sit well at all with me was how the father would let his family beg all along but would be ashamed of a little add job he got (temporary) where he could have earned at least a meal for his kids and not let them go to sleep hungry...The movie is dedicated to Roberto Carlos ( as in the singer)? and why would that be for?

Part "Road Movie" and part "Coming-of-Age" film, "O Caminho Das Nuvens" is an enjoyable little Brazilian flick that tells us the story of Ramao, his wife Rose, and their 5 children, as they make their way from "The Middle of the World" in Paraíba to Rio de Janeiro, on bikes, in search of work and a place to settle down.Shot in Neorealist tradition- similar to film's like De Sica's "Bicycle Thief"- we are not shown the beginning of the family's journey, nor it's conclusion...but, rather, are offered a privileged glimpse into a "slice of (this poor family's) life". The characters are real/regular people, and as such, could represent any one of the countless number of families' that have made similar journeys from rural Brazil to major urban centers like Rio and Sao Paolo, in search of new oppourtunities and a "better life".From the start, we are privy to the fact that the family has no set destination, little direction, and even less money to survive on. It seems that Ramao has dragged his family on this epic excursion based on a whim, and a slightly psychopathic desire to find a job that pays "1000 reisas a month"- which he feels he will need in order to take care of his large family.We follow Ramao and his family and observe the trials and tribulations that they must endure during the six month exodus they have embarked on...To get by the family relies on the generosity of others...begging, panhandling, busking and doing odd jobs that will earn them enough cash to keep food in their bellies. Ramao acts quite callously toward his family, for a man that relies on them for money and survival. These feelings of inadequacy are likely a consequence of his inability to provide for his family.Tension starts to develop between Ramao, his wife, and their eldest son Antonio, as Ramao repeatedly refuses job oppourtunities that do not meet his moral or monetary expectations. This is exacerbated when he decides to extend their journey, despite pleas from his tired and hungry family.As Ramao comes to grips with the fact that his dreams and expectations are, in all likelihood, not going to be realized, the film begins to focus on the relationship with his teenage son Antonio.At the beginning of the film, Ramao treats Antonio like he is an unwanted burden- constantly putting him down- though it seems the family wouldn't be as safe without him. We watch as Antonio becomes more independent; getting his coming-of-age experiences at various stops made by the family along the way. By the second half of the film it becomes clear that, despite their somewhat tenuous relationship, Ramao has been trying to get Antonio ready for life on his own.As the family nears their next (final?) destination, the film goes out on an emotional note....though we never do find out what fate has in store for them. I guess this is a comment on, "life being about the journey, not the destination"."The Middle of the World" is a simple, heartwarming film about a family on a journey. The locations and cinematography are beautiful and the acting is pretty good. It's also worth mentioning that the actor playing Ramao (Wagner Moura) looks a helluva lot like Johnny Depp!!! Definitely worth a watch, 6.5 out of 10.

I've lived in Northeast Brazil, where this movie is set. Viewers get a realistic picture of small-town life, including devotion to Padre Cicero, a priest who died in 1934, in Juazeiro do Norte, Ceara. It shows the importance of the music of Roberto Carlos, the romantic singer who is Brazil's highest-selling recording artist, in the characters' lives. I've known people who have made similar journeys, and seen their devotion to their children and their struggle to preserve their dignity, just like the characters in this movie.It's more low-key than ""Bye Bye Brasil," "Central Station," "O Auto da Compadecida," and "Eu, Tu, Eles" (Me, You, Them). It's most similar in tone to "Central Station."

I loved this movie!It is so refreshing to watch a non-pretentious film that illustrates the realities of poverty and the search for happiness without making you want to jump out of the nearest window! Normally, Latin American directors tend to emphasize and exoticize poverty-stricken towns and characters by dwelling on the families' strife and hardship in order to extract superficial emotion from the spectator. Mr. Amorim, however, deftly maneuvers around these themes with a sincere and compassionate and humanistic eye. "O Caminho das Nuvens" is a funny and modern road-movie that takes you where you want to go...places you may have been before, but may not have seen in such a fresh and authentic way. Muito bom.