Film Review: "My Darling Supermarket" (2019)

"My Darling Supermarket" had its U.S. virtual theatrical release today at the Film Forum. 

The film marks, director Tali Yankelevich's first feature film. Her first commissioned short, "The Perfect Fit," about a ballet dancer and a shoemaker was shortlisted for an Oscar nomination

The 2019 documentary is about grocery store employees in Sao Paolo, Brazil. It sounds like a simple mundane idea, but there is nothing simple about their lives or the vibrant store. 

Yankelevich's subjects are not dull. Each person has a story that is either sad, thought-provoking, or quirky. Just to pick two, you have Ivan, who likes to cosplay as manga characters, and Rodrigo, who talks about parallel universes and religion. Employees around him even admit it makes them uncomfortable with his "controversial questions." 

It's quite interesting as well as touching to listen to their fears and hopes. In one scene, a security guard speaks about her depression and how her divorce made her numb. She goes on about having four kids who are all grown and how she's lonely. 

She even notes that her daughter works in the same store, but they have no direct contact together. It's such a raw conversation that many can even relate to on a personal level. 

To call "My Darling Supermarket" a deeply moving and charming documentary about the human condition is not a lie. Yankelevich reminds us that we don't need to watch a documentary about someone famous (or infamous) to be enthralled. 

The moral of "My Darling Supermarket" is that no subject is just 'average.'

"My Darling Supermarket" is available to rent at Film Forum At Home.