Loveling (in Portuguese Benzinho) is a 2018 Brazilian film directed by Gustavo Pizzi.
Irene and her husband Claus have four sons. They live in a dilapidated house. Irene's sister Sônia has broken up with her husband, because he hit her. So Sônia and her son go and live with Irene's family. At the same time, Irene's elder son Fernando has the opportunity to go to Germany to become a profesional handball player. And Claus would like to sell the family's holiday home to fund his new busines project.
Loveling provides examples of:
- The Alleged Car: Sônia's old Volkswagen Bus. Its horn is broken.
- The Alleged House: Irene and Claus's house is dilapidated: the tap is broken; the entrance lock is broken, so they have to go through a window to go in; there is a big crack in a wall.
- Bumbling Dad: Claus is not very good at DIY, nor at business. He is also gluttonous (at night, he wakes up to eat things from the fridge).
- Chekhov's Gun: The crack in the wall. Finally, the whole wall collapses.
- Domestic Abuse: The reason why Sônia breaks up with her husband and goes and lives with Irene's family.
- Dysfunctional Family: Irene's family has many problems and it often results in quarrels.
- Empty Nest: Irene is sad because her elder son Fernando will go to Germany to become a profesional handball player.
- Midnight Snack: Claus wakes up at night to eat things from the fridge.
- Obstructive Bureaucrat: The one who explains that Fernando's emancipation will take time.
- Sports Hero Backstory: Deconstructed. Fernando is a talented handball goalkeeper. He goes pro and the consequences are shown: her mother is sad because he has to go abroad; Fernando is sometimes angry because he thinks his mother does not want him to succeed; his amateur team rejects him because he drops them.
- Time to Move: Claus would like to sell the family's holiday home to fund his new busines project. Irene is reluctant because this house means a lot to her. Subverted: in the end, the move happens.
- Visit by Divorced Dad: The visits that Sônia's husband would like to make to his son do not go smoothly. Sônia does not want to let him in and he gets furious.
- Wholesome Crossdresser: The clothing retailer is a bearded man who always wears women's clothing.
