God is stressed and needs a vacation from the Earth and the troublesome human race. To take a break, he needs a temporary replacement. And that's the premise of this playful, seemingly silly, yet surprisingly poignant film by Carlos Diegues, a leader in Brazil's Cinema Nôvo movement and one of his country's best-known directors. The story actually focuses on endlessly chattering layabout and small-time con artist Taoca, to whom God (played with wry humor by Antonio Fagundes) appears one lazy afternoon. God's actually searching for Quinca das Mulas, the supposedly saint-like person he feels will best fill his shoes. Seeing opportunity in the Almighty, Taoca volunteers to help track Quinca down, with lovely, soul-searching Mada joining them along the way. The trio's spirited road trip unfolds through some stunning stretches of the Brazilian countryside-the serene northern coast; the slums of historic Recife; a stunning red-rock desert near Palmas that's reminiscent of the American Southwest. The locations, their often odd residents, and the wacky twists of the journey itself all become integral elements of the story-as the traveling progresses toward its unforeseen ending, characters and viewers alike are left with plenty to ponder.