City of God

Searing and intense near-classic (ordinarily, I'd describe it as a classic, but I still prefer TV's "The Wire", which covers much of the same ground, but in Baltimore rather than Brazil) about a wretchedly poor neighborhood in the shadow of Rio, the kids existing there, and the lengths they'll sometimes go to in order to survive, and maybe even prosper. Of course, there are those youthful residents who attempt to find another out without compromising their humanity. In the midst of drugs and savage murders and despair, there's one character who experiences a first thwarted love, a fragile but touching friendship, and a growing awareness that perhaps he has the skill to escape the hopelessness of his dreary surroundings without resorting to the pervasive brutality of his peers. It's a very effective, well-made film, and the majority of the actors in it are not professionals, but actual residents of the "City of God". If anything, their lack of polish enhances the on-screen action. I'm ... Read more

I've not seen this film for so long, and the reason for this may have been universal acclaim; I turned slightly afraid of watching it in case it'd turn out to be pap, and just shunned it for other stuffs, like Paris Hilton's "The Hottie and The Nottie". Well. Here's a real nose-burn. The film is really, really good. The cinematography hit me first. Inventive, taking chances, funny. The characters and the narrator followed, luring me, leading me on, jumping about chronologically. Kids growing up in the City of God, a favela (shanty town) in Rio de Janeiro, going from petty to heavy crime, a tale taped together mostly due to Buscapé, a boy with a heart of gold who gets mixed into it all. I shan't say more about the synopsis, but crime, love, days in the sun and nights in cold sweat make this a film to remember and divulge in pleasure and pain. Strongly recommendable.

What I want from movies is stuff I have never seen before. This movie delivers that.

Absolutely amazing. A complete MASTERPIECE. Very accurate depiction of the slum violence in Brazil. The violence, the drugs- It was pretty crazy. It kept me on the edge of my seat. I was very proud of Rocket. And it shows the whole rising above the influence thing, which is really awesome. Are Sao Paulo People usually dorky? I never realized how much the drug biz sucks. I would sure like to take some of those pictures.

really pretty good coming of age movie.

I'm usually not one to sit through a subtitled foreign flick but this movie was so intense it was hard to miss a beat. It really put into perspective what life was really like on the mean streets of Rio as opposed to most peoples image of glorious and glitzy beaches. A must see!

Awesome movie. Even in subtitled form it is powerful and provocative. I wish I understood Portugese to get the full effect! Two thumbs Up!

A great recent foreign movie.

Great movie. Very good story. Shows very harsh reality in the ghettos of Rio.