‘The Luminous Life’ Review: A Breezy and Melancholic Portrait of a Portuguese Zoomer Looking for Love, Plus a Steady Job

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Movies featuring characters in their twenties wandering aimlessly through life often share this meandering quality, which can add to their appeal. Not all films require constant tension or intricate plotting like a luxury sports car. Some of the finest examples from this genre – such as “Dazed and Confused”, “Before Sunrise”, “Frances Ha”, and Fellini’s “I Vitelloni” – effectively capture that sense of aimless wandering while still being utterly captivating. Essentially, the drifting becomes the core narrative element of these movies.

In Joao Rosas’ first film, The Luminous Life (A Vida Luminosa), Nicolau (Francisco Melo) – a reserved and unkempt central character – embodies the modern-day vagabond, drifting through the streets of a European capital, notably Lisbon. His heart is filled with longing for love, and his mind constantly seeks stable work. However, he seems to be perpetually lost, searching for something elusive that he can’t quite define or grasp – perhaps it’s dreams, a fulfilling career, or a fresh romance. Despite his apparent lack of enthusiasm in finding it, there’s an undeniable allure to his aimless journey.

The movie is both breezy yet melancholic, reminiscent of Eric Rohmer’s style as it showcases a string of casual romantic meetings in the bustling city, one involving Nicolau and a French girl named Chloé (Cécile Matignon), who eventually becomes his love interest. However, it also carries the aimless longing similar to Robert Bresson’s Four Nights of a Dreamer, even quoting Bresson’s works during a scene at the Cinemateca Portugesa. Despite being heavily influenced by French cinema, the movie distinctly exudes a Portuguese essence, weaving a dreamy sadness with touches of absurd humor and sensuality, much like the late auteur Joao Cesar Monteiro’s work.

At the beginning of the story, Nicolau is residing with his parents and still harboring feelings for a girl he parted ways with a year prior. He appears to lack clear ambitions, merely seeking an escape from his current situation as someone observes. “You’re missing out on life,” they say, to which he responds helplessly: “I can’t imagine myself doing anything.”

Nicolau secures a temporary job counting cyclists in Lisbon for two weeks, lands an interview at a high-end advertising agency, and eventually ends up working at a stationery store, where he is required to dress as Santa Claus during the spring. In his free time, he plays bass guitar in a band that seems perpetually at odds with each other, hindering any serious pursuit of a music career.

The film doesn’t have much material to work with, but Rosas manages to keep our attention by portraying genuine interactions, many of which feature Nicolau socializing with women his age. These women are generally ambitious and career-driven, while Nicolau seems less focused. They find him attractive and easygoing, yet realize he lacks direction. As the story unfolds, we can’t help but ponder if Nicolau’s ex may have felt the same way, moving forward in life while he was indecisive. To add to the intrigue, it’s revealed that Nicolau’s father, a diligent worker, is being unfaithfully loved, causing Nicolau to question the worth of a stable job if it leads to marital infidelity.

Paulo Menezes, both director and cinematographer, captures these questions in vivid snapshots amidst an urban landscape that avoids feeling like a tourist attraction. The city is portrayed as it is for everyday people – bustling with the rhythmic hum of cars, buses, trams, and bicycles enhanced by sound design. When there’s music, it emerges from Nicolau’s band during their rehearsals, playing tunes that echo the character’s mood and the movie itself: laid-back, reflective, slightly pop and somewhat detached.

In the final scenes, the situation becomes more complex as Nicolau moves nearer to Chloé, who’s in town researching a thesis on cemeteries titled “The Architecture of Death.” Given her bohemian, sensual personality, this topic appears to be quite contrasting. Could it be that Nicolau has finally discovered the love he’s been seeking? The answer might be affirmative, but Rosas also hints at the possibility of him making the same errors as before. If there’s any lesson to glean from this bittersweet quest without a destination, it’s that the most radiant life is the one you create for yourself after discovering what truly makes you happy.

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2025-07-07 20:24