20 Best Movie Performances Of 2016

It would've been easy for this Brazilian drama about a middle-aged, well-off widow to reek of first world problems, but veteran character actress Sonia Braga brings a wealth of humanity to her wryly witty protagonist.

Equal parts sexy, sardonic and sad, Braga's Clara is a mountainous picture of strength in the face of adversity as she fends off housing developers who aggressively attempt to force her out of her home of many decades.

Perfectly cementing the relationship between love, memory and the passage of time, Braga creates one of the year's best characters of any gender, but considering how few ripe roles there are for 65-year-old actresses, it's refreshing to see the age bracket represented in such vibrant fashion.