Let’s face it: in the vast panorama of cinematic history, 1999’s Harvey Weinstein-produced Shakespeare in Love has held-up about as well as a Kleenex in the hand of a chronic hay-fever sufferer. There may be many reasons why Ms. Paltro “won” the Best Actress Oscar for her performance that year, but the treacly, forgettable film—along with her relatively generic performance—are not among those reasons. As Glenn Close notes in this article, the real winner that year should have been the genius Brazilian actress Fernanda Montenegro for her performance in Centro do Brasil (Central Station), a tale of redemption amid the squalor of urban life in Rio de Janeiro so raw and staggering that its impact sears the mind to this very day.

I saw the film when it emerged on DVD (remember those?) back at the turn of the century and it knocked my socks off, broke my heart, and drained my soul dry before filling it back up with life-waters overflowing with wonder. Ms. Montenegro had long been a legend of Brazilian cinema but this performance made her a bona fide international sensation, deservedly so. Reminiscent of Fellini’s muse, Giulietta Masina, in her ability to convey a range of conflicting emotions via mere expression, Montenegro was nominated for Best Actress alongside GOOP in 1999 but, apparently, the Harvey Girl du jour could not be bested in the eyes of the besotted Academy.

The only shame is that the loss of the Oscar on Montenegro’s part prevented an already vital and world-beating film from becoming even more famous than it was, essentially robbing global fans of a glimpse at the rarest of jewels. Find it and watch it if you can. You’ll than me.

Montenegro, now in her 90s and still working, amazingly, went on to complete a multitude of memorable films and stage triumphs since Central Station. Paltrow? She gave us the great characterization of Pepper Potts in a shitty comic book movie and candles that reputedly smell like pudenda.

No one can get it wrong like Hollywood. Hear, hear, Glenn Close!

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