Love is For the Strong (Amar é Para os Fortes) is a Brazilian drama action film based on the struggles of mothers in the country who are facing the unjustified murder of their children. Directed by Kátia Lund, Yasmin Thayná, and Daniel Lieff, the series stars Mariana Nunes, Tatiana Tibúrcio, Breno Ferreira, Maicon Rodrigues, Bukassa Kabengele, Rui Ricardo Diaz, Vilma Melo, Sain Ktt, Clara Moneke, Don Negralla, Kibba, Liza Del Dala, and José Araújo.
The show’s plot tells the story of two mothers whose fates come together after the incident of an 11-year-old being brutally murdered by a police officer. While one mother tries to protect her son, the cop, from the corrupt system, the other struggles to protect her son’s memory and name which is being tarnished to hide the crime committed.
Watch the Love is For the Strong Trailer
The synopsis of the show reads:
Rita loses her 11-year-old son, Sushi to police violence. Edna is the mother of Digão the policeman who kills the child. Seeking justice and surrender both mothers will face police corruption, the morosity of the justice system.
-Love is For the Strong Review Contains No Spoilers-
Rita is the mother of 11-year-old Kevin who is shot in the middle of a street while mistaken to be a drug dealer by two officers. Among these cops is young Digão who is new to the job and pulls the trigger when pressurised by his senior during the lookout for the criminal. This begins a trail of events as Rita begins to seek justice for her son while Digão’s mother Edna looks for ways to save her son.
However, the plot begins to reveal that it isn’t just Rita who is struggling, but also Edan who has to face the unreliable justice system that will only look at her son as the one who pulled the trigger. As themes of racism, police violence, and other political agendas pop up throughout the show, the focus always remains on Rita and Edna who just want to save their sons.
Along with the story of these mothers comes the plot of a group of youths who want to make a change with their impulsive actions of rebellion. Wanting to raise an issue about the havoc created by the police, these youths often resort to vandalism, taking out a rally, or simply protesting in every way they can to gather attention on the injustice.
While the consequences of their impulsive actions are not always good, they learn to grow and make way for more creative and anonymous ways that can keep them safe. It is only when they finally grow that Rita’s elder son, Sinistro who is also part of this group, finally manages to leave the police force with no other option but to look at what they have done.
Meanwhile, Rita’s efforts don’t go in vain but bring her face-to-face with the “boy” who killed her son. This leaves her shocked as she is unable to understand how a boy this young was able to bear the burden of what he has done without much remorse. However, later when she stands together with the mothers of many such victims of the cops, the truth doesn’t stop her from raising her voice for justice.
Then there is Edna; while shocked by what her son has done, she makes every effort possible to either make her son confess or find a way to compensate Rita, she struggles to save her son. Edna is a woman who just wanted to escape the police violence she was surrounded with when growing up, but all her efforts went in vain and left her square one.
Finally, the action drama brings us a look into the political situation in Brazil which has resulted in cases of police shooting children in the name of drug traffickers that have reached thousands in a few years. As mothers struggle to find justice for their lost children, the system there is unable to understand the importance of the same which has become a way to set these mothers free.
Summing Up: Love is For the Strong Review
The show is filled with a thick plot that brings the emotions of vulnerable women who need to become stronger and seek justice for the cruel fate they need to face. While the story shows us the current scenario in Brazilian society, it is not a cup of tea for everyone out there.
The themes of racism, police violence, and so on go side by side with the plot surrounding our main characters, however, that does not mean that you wouldn’t click the forward button here and there. Altogether, this is a good one-time watch which wouldn’t be a waste of time for the general audience.
Watch Love is For the Strong on Prime Video.
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