Rating: R
Movie Release Date: August 30, 2002 (Brazil) / January 17, 2003 (USA)
DVD Release Date: June 8, 2004
Plot 411: In the streets of Rio, street gangs battle for turf as drugs, violence and death grows.
Review: This was an awesome crime drama based on a true story that is set in Rio de Janeiro's City of God, a slum that houses corruption of all kind. The movie starts off with a gang called the Tender Trio, who rob and steal but also give back to the poor citizens in the City. The group is made of Shaggy (Jonathan Haagensen), Clipper (Jefechander Suplino) and Goose (Renato de Souza). When a motel robbery goes bad and people are killed, they hide out among residents. Little do they know, their lookout Li'l Ze (Douglas Silva) is an ambitious kid who wants to take over the slums, and he sets off the alarm in order to get into the action. As he grows up, Li'l Ze (Leandro Firmino da Hora) takes control of the drug trafficking by killing other suppliers. His best friend Benny (Phellipe Haagensen) convinces him to leave one supplier, Carrot (Matheus Nachtergaele), alone because he is a friend. However, when Benny is murdered all bets are off and Li'l Ze starts a war. Carrot bands together with Knockout Ned (Seu Jorge), who also has a bone to pick with Li'l Ze. The cinematography is so gritty and vibrant that the violence seems as real as if it were a documentary. You leave the movie wondering how much worse could it be in real life? It's disconcerting to find that you side with both the gangs and the law enforcement. Some kids are just trying to survive and have to turn to gangs to do it. Not all law enforcement is legit; many of them are shown to be corrupt. Even with the gangs, there seems to be an unwritten law in the slums that people adhere to - almost as if the City of God is a separate entity from Rio de Janeiro. The crime is high because of social conditions that exist, which the state does not seem to be addressing. Because of this, the cycle of drugs and gangs continues and the game of cat and mouse between cops and robbers goes on as well.
Movie Release Date: August 30, 2002 (Brazil) / January 17, 2003 (USA)
DVD Release Date: June 8, 2004
Plot 411: In the streets of Rio, street gangs battle for turf as drugs, violence and death grows.
Review: This was an awesome crime drama based on a true story that is set in Rio de Janeiro's City of God, a slum that houses corruption of all kind. The movie starts off with a gang called the Tender Trio, who rob and steal but also give back to the poor citizens in the City. The group is made of Shaggy (Jonathan Haagensen), Clipper (Jefechander Suplino) and Goose (Renato de Souza). When a motel robbery goes bad and people are killed, they hide out among residents. Little do they know, their lookout Li'l Ze (Douglas Silva) is an ambitious kid who wants to take over the slums, and he sets off the alarm in order to get into the action. As he grows up, Li'l Ze (Leandro Firmino da Hora) takes control of the drug trafficking by killing other suppliers. His best friend Benny (Phellipe Haagensen) convinces him to leave one supplier, Carrot (Matheus Nachtergaele), alone because he is a friend. However, when Benny is murdered all bets are off and Li'l Ze starts a war. Carrot bands together with Knockout Ned (Seu Jorge), who also has a bone to pick with Li'l Ze. The cinematography is so gritty and vibrant that the violence seems as real as if it were a documentary. You leave the movie wondering how much worse could it be in real life? It's disconcerting to find that you side with both the gangs and the law enforcement. Some kids are just trying to survive and have to turn to gangs to do it. Not all law enforcement is legit; many of them are shown to be corrupt. Even with the gangs, there seems to be an unwritten law in the slums that people adhere to - almost as if the City of God is a separate entity from Rio de Janeiro. The crime is high because of social conditions that exist, which the state does not seem to be addressing. Because of this, the cycle of drugs and gangs continues and the game of cat and mouse between cops and robbers goes on as well.
Watch It: For the film that spurred on the City of Men movie and tv series. It's a gritty, realistic look at the evolution of gangs from the '60s to the '80s.
Skip It: If you're comfortable in your home surrounded by a white picket fence. There are not fences in the City of God. Social status is found and acheived through other means.
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