To its credit, "Adrift" succeeds more by what it does not do than what it seeks to do, taking its time during an endless summer at a beach community in Brazil. Of special interest are the beautiful scenery and Vincent Cassel, cast against type and speaking Portugese. Unlike most of the other characters he has played, Mathias is quite domestic as a writer on vacation with his family. That's not to say that Mathias is without his share of danger signs, most of which emanate from his never having fully grown up. That sense of irresponsibility has led his wife Clarice(Debora Bloch) to drink as they argue about a possible adaptation of one of his works and eventually the logistics of a possible separation. While their son gets into a fight, it is their oldest, 14-year old Filipa(Laura Neiva), who is most conscious of what is going on around them. This is especially important because she has reached an age where she is taking an interest in boys for the first time, namely Artur(Daniel Passi) who faces an impossible question during a round of truth and dare. Not having the experience to know what the signals mean, she does not have the answers. But even worse, she has no questions.

A quiet contemplative film that explores the tensions of a husband and wife splitting up over the course of a summer holiday and how that dynamic affects the children, who don't understand what is happening. Lots of lovely scenery, young, nubile bodies, and and some solid acting mark this film. Laura Neiva, as Philipa, the oldest girl, is quite lovely and gave a strong performance. Vincent Cassel and Debora Bloch played her parents and Camille Belle was the love interest for the father. All is not as it seems however and when the true reason for the breakup comes out it does manage to surprise, at least a little. One has to wonder how many bathing suits a young girl like that might own, as it seems that Philipa never wears the same one twice.