Based on a 2004 novel of the same name by author Pascal Mercier, the movie begins in Bern, Switzerland. As the main character, Raimund Gregorius, a Swedish teacher, is heading home from work, he sees a woman in a red coat standing on a bridge about to jump. Raimund intervenes and, seeming grateful, she joins him in his class. However, she leaves quietly, leaving behind her coat. Raimund tries to follow her (not in a creepy way – just presumably to make sure she has her coat) but he loses her. Looking in her coat pocket he finds a book and a ticket for a train to Lisbon that is departing in 15 minutes. He races to the train station but fails to see the woman. As the train is departing, on a whim, he boards the train. During transit, he reads the book, by Amadeu de Prado, which contemplates the notion of going back in time to make different choices that would inevitably lead to different paths (much like, I imagine, Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library).  Upon arrival in Lisbon, he secures boarding and decides he would like to locate the author of the book the woman had in her possession. It seems that Raimund feels a sort of kinship with him based on what he has written. Using what appear to be the Portuguese equivalent of the Yellow Pages, he locates his residence and is greeted at the door by Amadeu’s sister. Through their discussion, she implies he is still alive and lives there still, yet a maid’s revelation leads to the discovery that Amadeu, who was a doctor and part of the resistance against the dictatorship of António de Oliveira Salazar, actually died in 1974. The story unfolds from there, as we follow Raimund on his curious quest to find out more about the author who appears to be dead yet whose sister seems to pretend is still alive.

The story is both absurd and beautiful. I had to suspend my disbelief as Raimund dropped his whole career to embark on this quest based on so little. It was also a little too convenient at times how he seemed to stumble upon new information and contacts, and even when the people were unwilling to talk at first how much they wound up spilling to a stranger was hard to believe. And anytime a story involves a person with a photographic memory it becomes a tad less believable for me. But – if you can let all that go, and I suggest you do – the movie has wonderful portrayals of the fine lines we must walk to do what we feel is right, and the heartbreak that making tough choices may cause. We see this repeatedly in the movie, as Amadeu disappoints his father with a graduation speech he gives (such a great speech – possibly my favorite part of the movie), angers townspeople as he saves a powerful member of the Salazar regime – the “Butcher of Lisbon” (because he’s a doctor!), hurts his sister with his actions and silence, and so forth. (And don’t worry – none of those statements are crazy spoilers… the story is a bit deeper than that!)

As for the location, there are some great views of the city itself. As soon as Raimund arrives in Lisbon, we are welcomed to the quintessential views of the city, from the iconic trams to the narrow streets that showcase the hilly nature of Lisbon. Several famous locations are showcased as well, including Prazeres Cemetery, one of the largest cemeteries in Lisbon (where many famous Portuguese people have been buried) and home to the largest mausoleum in Europe. We also see lovely café shots and the outside of a building on Praça David Leandro da Silva (that represents Jorge’s pharmacy) as well as the Santa Apolónia Station (the oldest railway terminus in Portugal) and views from a ferry to/from Belem that Raimund takes to visit somebody in a nursing home. In short, I enjoyed this movie and would watch it again. I also liked it enough that I plan to read the book on which it’s based, particularly since Amadeu is a poet and I imagine the prose within the original novel would be quite lovely.