The Kiss: Bruno Barreto’s adaptation of Nelson Rodrigues’ hard-hitting play shows what happens to a man’s life when he acquiesces to a dying man’s wish and gives him a kiss, just to have his life turned upside-down when a tabloid journalist and a dirty, brutal policeman use this episode to their benefit. The film showcases all the hypocrisy and anger of a conservative society with its simple, realistic-sounding dialogue. The performances are convincing: Ney Latorraca is mellow and lost as the protagonist; Tarcísio Meira is uptight as his father-in-law; Daniel Filho and Oswaldo Loureiro are enraging as the snaky pressman and brutal cop, respectively. Christiane Torloni plays the loving, trusting wife well, and Lídia Brondi, as her younger sister, is likewise fine. Cinematographer Murilo Salles’ dynamic camerawork does wonders to hide this film’s origin on the stage; he is also unafraid to let the action happen in the dark, a choice with much symbolic meaning.