The Portuguese House: serenely beautiful, Avelina Prat’s drama tells the story of a college professor who, unable to cope with his wife, who ran away from him, drops out of his life and ends up as a gardener in a Portuguese quinta. The relationship he forms and the melancholic conversations he has with the owner are the film’s strongest suits. The performances are quiet and highly effective: Manolo Solo, as a man who loses his wife’s love for no reason he can understand, and Maria de Medeiros, as the independent and mildly mysterious farm owner, play beautifully off each other. Aesthetically, the film is functional and simple: cinematographer Santiago Racaj’s camerawork is elegant and captures the charming locations well. Production designer Artur Pinheiro creates beautiful interior locations.