Thati Lopes
Jessica
Overview
Jéssica is a simple young woman, dedicated to her job at an antique shop in Rio de Janeiro, but she feels her life lacks purpose. Everything changes when she finds a mysterious locket identical to an item she inherited from her late mother. Driven by the desire to understand the connection between the locket and her family history, Jéssica teams up with Gabriel, a distant relative who appears unexpectedly.
Cast
12 people
Reviews
5 min readA Locket, a Lie, and the Weight of Easy Answers
I’ve seen this trick before. A woman finds a mysterious object—a locket, a letter, a photograph—and suddenly her life, which had been humming along in quiet dissatisfaction, snaps into focus. The object is a key, and the lock it opens is always the same: family secrets, a journey, a revelation that arrives just in time for the third-act catharsis. Cheers to Life (or Viva a Vida, its original title) leans hard into this formula, and for a while, it almost works.
Almost.
The film follows Jéssica (Thati Lopes), a young woman working in an antique shop in Rio de Janeiro, who stumbles upon a locket identical to one her mother left her. The discovery sends her on a trip to Israel, where she hopes to uncover the truth about her estranged family. Along the way, she’s joined by Gabriel (Rodrigo Simas), a distant relative who may or may not be there for the right reasons.
The premise is ripe with possibility—cultural dislocation, the search for identity, the way objects carry memory—but the film treats it all like a package tour, rushing from one scenic stop to the next without ever lingering long enough to let the weight of the journey sink in.
Cris D’Amato, the director, has a knack for assembling talented casts and coaxing out warm, genial performances. Thati Lopes, in particular, is a delight—her Jéssica is all open-faced curiosity and nervous energy, the kind of protagonist you root for even when the script doesn’t give her much to do. There’s a moment early in the film where she holds the locket up to the light, her fingers tracing its edges like she’s trying to memorize its contours.
It’s a small gesture, but Lopes sells it. You believe she’s someone who’s spent her life feeling untethered, and that this locket might be the thing that finally grounds her. If only the film believed in her as much as she believes in the locket.
But Cheers to Life is less interested in the messy, unpredictable nature of self-discovery than it is in checking off the boxes of a feel-good road movie. The plot moves with the efficiency of a travel itinerary: Rio to Tel Aviv, a stop at the Wailing Wall, a detour to King Solomon’s Mines (because why not?), and then—oh, look—a family reunion. The film’s flashbacks, meant to provide emotional context for Jéssica’s journey, feel like they’ve been airlifted in from a telenovela.
Audience Opinions
Audience 6.7/10
"A light, uneven mix of romance and adventure that's more charming than challenging."
The feel-good tone and Thati Lopes's lead performance give the story warmth and relatability. The plot is predictable and the supporting characters underdeveloped, so it lacks depth and originality.
What viewers praise
- Feel-good tone The breezy, uplifting atmosphere makes it an easy watch for a light escape.
- Strong lead performance Thati Lopes brings charm and authenticity to the role, making the protagonist's journey engaging.
- Romantic and adventurous The mix of romance and adventure is pleasant, if familiar.
Common complaints
- Predictable plot The story follows well-worn tropes, with few surprises or deeper emotional impact.
- Underdeveloped side characters Supporting roles feel thin and underused.
- Lacks depth The themes and conflicts are too simplistic to leave much of an impression.
Recommended for
Fans of light rom-coms Feel-good movie lovers Thati Lopes admirers Casual weekend watchers
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsBehind the Scenes of Cheer to Life: Cris D’Amato’s Star-Studded Brazilian Comedy-Drama
Brazilian director Cris D’Amato is back with Cheer to Life (2025), a dramedy that promises to blend humor and heart in classic D’Amato fashion. The film, originally titled Viva a Vida! in Portuguese, reunites the filmmaker with a powerhouse cast, including veterans like Regina Braga and Jonas Bloch alongside rising stars like Rodrigo Simas and Thati Lopes. latestnetflix.com's take is that with a runtime of 99 minutes and a genre tag of "comedy-drama", the project is already generating buzz—though details remain scarce.
A Director’s Signature Style
D’Amato has built a reputation for crafting stories that balance lighthearted romance with deeper emotional stakes. His 2022 film Esposa de Aluguel (released internationally as Pour le meilleur et pour de faux) earned mixed reviews but showcased his knack for ensemble-driven narratives. Cheer to Life appears to follow a similar blueprint, though its tone leans more toward uplifting drama than outright farce. The director’s previous work often explores relationships and personal reinvention, themes likely to resurface here.
The Cast: A Mix of Legends and New Faces
The ensemble is a standout feature of Cheer to Life, blending seasoned actors with fresh talent:
- Regina Braga, a Brazilian stage and screen icon, brings gravitas to the project. Her collaboration with D’Amato suggests a meaty role, possibly as a matriarch or mentor figure. - Rodrigo Simas, known for his charismatic leading-man roles, could anchor the film’s romantic or comedic arcs. - Thati Lopes, a rising star in Brazilian TV and film, adds youthful energy to the mix. - Daniel Filho, a legendary director and actor in his own right, joins the cast in what may be a supporting but memorable role.
The rest of the cast—including Jonas Bloch, Diego Martins, and Aline Dias—rounds out a group that feels tailor-made for D’Amato’s brand of character-driven storytelling. With such a stacked lineup, rumors (unconfirmed) suggest the film could explore interconnected storylines, a structure D’Amato has used before.
What We Know (and What We Don’t)
Despite the hype, concrete details about Cheer to Life are thin. The film’s listing on Rotten Tomatoes hints at upcoming reviews and trailers, but no official synopsis or release date has been confirmed. The 99-minute runtime suggests a tight, fast-paced narrative, possibly centered on a pivotal event that brings the characters together—think a wedding, a reunion, or a shared crisis.
One lingering question is the film’s international appeal. While D’Amato’s previous work has found audiences abroad (as seen with Esposa de Aluguel’s French release), Cheer to Life’s English title suggests a push for broader accessibility. Whether it will secure a global streaming deal or festival circuit run remains to be seen.
The Verdict: A Film to Watch
For now, Cheer to Life is a project defined by its talent—both in front of and behind the camera. D’Amato’s ability to wrangle ensemble casts and deliver crowd-pleasing stories makes this a film worth tracking. If early buzz is any indication, it could be a standout in Brazil’s 2025 film slate. Until more details emerge, fans will have to settle for the promise of a feel-good dramedy with serious star power.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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