Val is a housekeeper for a wealthy family in São Paulo Brazil. Despite being like "part of the family" and raising the family's son, Fabinho, as if he were her own son, Val has been separated from her own family for many years as she works to make money to support her daughter. When that daughter, Jessica, needs a place to stay while she studies for her entrance exam for a prestigious college in São Paulo, Val is all too eager to be reunited with the child she had to leave behind so many years ago. Val has been a live-in housekeeper/nanny for the family for years, and the issues begin when Jessica quickly shows that she has no respect for the unspoken rules that govern class within the household. The title of the film roughly translates to "When will she return?" and the theme of mothers separated from their children reappears throughout the film. Val and Jessica are not close because Jessica was raised by family while Val made money to support her. Fabinho and Dona Barbara are similarly estranged by her career. This film explores the dynamic and class boundaries within the household. Although Val considers herself part of the family, Jessica's disruptive presence quickly reveals that this is not quite the case. Val is also physically separated from the family, dwelling within her own domain in the kitchen and constantly eavesdropping on the conversations that take place in the dining room just through the open doorway. Que Horas Ela Volta? is hilarious, well-acted, and at times a little uncomfortable to watch. Val and Jessica may not disassemble class structure in Brazil, but the ridiculous and sometimes demeaning treatment that Val receives from Dona Barbara does cause the viewer to reject that treatment, which is a start.

The Second Mother is a wonderful film that really emphasizes many topics that we really do not get to cover in other films. Even if we do cover them directly, the audience would feel attacked and would not want to see the film. This film covers these various topics in an indirect way, by making the audience empathize with the protagonist, Val. Through the use of emphasizing the audience would not have to feel attacked and can learn about the wrongs in the film in their own way. The film covers topics such as social class, race, and gender. We see Val in the movie as a nanny, taking care of a child who is rich and comes from a mostly white family. Val, is a woman of color that is also one of the main servants in the family's home. She is shown as "knowing her place", because of her knowing that she poor and is supposed to be in the shadows when serving the family. If one researches the history of Brazil we learn more about slavery in Brazil and the abuse that the slaves went through. One of the many roles the slaves had to got through was to be a servant in the master's house, so we see that in Val's case. There is also the topic of gender and the woman's role in which we see with the patriarch of the family towards the daughter and in Val's case. Val's case was supposed to take care of her daughter, but instead she took care of the family's son and her daughter comes by and reiterates to her what her original role was. There are many more topics that the film covers, such as intergenerational mobility and more. I describe the movie as a serious film, and it is not. It is an enjoyable film with many scenes that made me laugh. I definitely recommend this movie to anyone who wants to wants to know more about Brazil and to pass time. I promise you, it is not boring.

This movie is based around a live-in servant Val and the three people she serves: the father, his daughter and her son. Despite living in the same house as her three masters, Val is very subservient and looked down upon. She does not swim in her master's pool, does not eat at the same table as them, nor does she eat the same food. Val's life is turned upside down when her daughter Jessica comes to stay in order to sit the university entrance exams; a university that is only for the elite. Despite her mother's insistence and pleading, Jessica refuses to conform to the role of servant's daughter with interesting consequences that are not stereotypical.The second mother is beautifully done. The acting is superb. The story is told elegantly showing not just the injustice of class, but presenting it for the ugly beast it is. What I particularly liked about it was that Jessica's role was not overdone and stereotyped. The character was not deliberately being antagonistic, she was simply being herself and that meant refusing to conform to class social norms. If you get the chance to see this film I urge you to do so.

I really loved it, and I think it's one of Brazil's best movies.It is about the relationship between Brazilian employers and employees. Val, the maid, has been working at a house for many years. Her employers like her and treat her well. Their son sees her as his second mother. However,this is about to change when her daughter comes to town and has to stay there for a few days. The prejudice towards Val comes to surface as she finds out it is not so easy to be poor in Brazil. The main actress is amazing, and so is the whole cast. It surely deserves at least an Oscar nomination for best foreign movie. I hope everybody gets the chance to watch it and love it.