A determined widow holds her ground in ‘Aquarius’

Out with the old and in with the new? This excellent Brazilian character study isn’t quite ready for that. Even its retro 1980s opening, with a good-times soundtrack featuring Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust,” arrives with a “Says who?” confidence.

Veteran star Sonia Braga plays Clara, a 65-year-old force of nature who enjoys living every day in her lovely old beachfront condominium, located next to bland new high-rises. Never mind that she’s a widow and cancer survivor, largely separated from her two nice sons and one annoying daughter. She’s also a retired music journalist with a library-size collection of vintage vinyl, and she’s the last holdout resident in her nearly vacant housing complex.

Clara’s beautiful building, the Aquarius, is being cleared for a knockdown, with former neighbors expecting their final payment for moving out from the predatory developer and her children wanting Clara to pocket the builder’s cash and step aside. Says who?

Braga’s screen magnetism is irresistible as she goes to war against the people and community is- sues pushing her toward the exit. Her sly detective work reveals layer upon layer of moral misdeeds and economic corruption. But while she can outthink her rivals, can she outlast them?

Writer-director Kleber Mendonça Filho uses views from her balcony, the sound of the nearby surf and the placement of physical heirlooms to keep us near her unstoppable beating heart, and her close to ours. In an era when movies about and for older viewers tend to be insipid comedies, this is a welcome change of pace.