Exuberant use of color and speech. I think it is as much a tribute to french cinema, where photography and dialogs prevail, as it is a bizarre caricature of American imperialism. I find the direction quite good. The use of space and light is excellent. The acting is marvelous. We find here a cast that includes some of the best Portuguese actresses, lead by Alexandra whose maturity is perfect for the role she so well develops and sustains throughout the movie. Another favorite character of mine, is the lady that always speaks in Latin, citing the great orators of antiquity. Being this a film with so much dialog, and quite unusual conversations at that, I'm marveled at the specifics that elaborate the speech of each character. It's easy to get lost and come out saying it was just meaningless. But many times I feel I'm listening either to a poem or an essay. It's also very interesting how such a strong questioning of American imperialism can be made without ever being aggressive about it. I think anyone who sees this film can hardly call it a waste of time. It's quite entertaining and humorous as well. I'm proud of Portuguese cinema for pulling this one out.