Rating: 
Summary: Read subtitles and see violence
Review: This is a foreign film, so I had to read subtiles throughout the entire film. The film looks at the life story of boy living in a gang infested neighborhood somewhere near Rio. The film depecits bloody, evil acts of violence in the context of gang members' desires to gain and exert power over others or to simply get revenge. Even the police are corrupted by the quick, easy money. Of course its only quick and easy if you live long enough to spend it. The boy's father understands this and convinces the boy not to become a criminal. However, about half of the people on his street including his friends and older brother are gangsters, so life gets complicated. Perhaps the theme of the movie is that one has to start at the bottom and earn their success through experience and new ideas (even if one is a gangster). The pace is decent. However, this film should be avoid by people who don't like the sight of blood, violence, brief nudity, brief sex, foul language, acts of evil, or reading subtitles.
Rating:
Summary: A brutal, mesmerizing, and hyperkinetic achievement
Review: I'm not going to attempt a puny little plot summary of the Academy Award-nominated City of God - not because it defies explanation, but simply because the film is so vast, so sprawling, and so brutal it would impossible to fly through its air-tight narrative in a few sentences. What I can say is that in director Meirelles lies an artist so assured in his craft, so brave in his subject matter, I simply refuse to believe this is his first film. But it is - and it's simply exciting. Cinematographer Cesar Charlone's frenetic, energized camera whizzes through the Brazilian slums evoking gritty realism, and editor Daniel Rezende makes such a huge film seem logical and completely intact. I found myself immensely impressed by the technical achievements of the film (it goes without saying I'll be rooting for City in both of the aforementioned categories on February 29), but what sits with you after the credits roll is how socially and politically important the film is - and the scary implications it presents. City of God unmercifully shows some of the most brutal violence of recent cinema, but it all is based firmly in actual occurrences in the neighborhood it dramatizes. It's difficult to watch small kids committing cold-blooded murder, even more difficult to see small kids become victims of cold-blooded murder, but nearly intolerable to think that this Brazilian society was at a point where it lived by its own rules and effectually let it happen. But as much as City of God will disturb you, it's hard to not feel Meirelles's Scorsese-esque talent radiate from the screen (there are more than a few parallels to Goodfellas here). If anything, the brutality and lightning speed of it all can occasionally seem like too much, but I suppose it's a question of how much you can take. City of God is not gratuitous, though, because it's necessary to remember that this fine film is in fact...based in fact. City of God left me with two reactions: a desire to applaud its bravery and a need to thank God I live in such a safe place. GRADE: A-
Rating: 
Summary: Shocking
Review: After watching a few minutes of this violent masterpiece, the title rings more and more hollow. It is hard to imagine a more god forsaken place than the slums of Rio as represented in this intense and in many ways shocking film about the Brazilian underworld. The viewer, probably pretty well off if you are viewing the film on a DVD player, is thrown into a situation of modern poverty rarely observed by an outside eye. There is a big reason for that, as only the most desperate would ever live in a place described in this film.City of God tells the story of a group of poor Brazilian youth and their experiences growing up in the ghetto. The urban jungles are just that, tightly knit communities that are ravaged by crime and shootings. Gangs square off and all sorts of unimaginable violence is freakishly ordinary. We see what this kind of environment does to kids through the life of Little Ze, a young boy who quickly is exposed to graphic crime and takes a fierce liking to it. He quickly becomes the dominant crime lord of the slums. Most of the other youth grow up much the same, either working for Ze or finding death in his employ. All is not lost however, as one boy, nicknamed Rocket, seeks a better life shooting a camera, not a gun. The story of Rocket offers a bit of hope that something good can come from this otherwise horrible situation. The story is fast paced and moves exceedingly well, as we watch Ze reach the apex of his crime enemy. Of course, it's lonely at the top, and Ze's brutality and sheer insanity begin to bring down all around him, even his long time friends. He finally gets in a war he cannot handle, and the whole city becomes a war zone as high powered weapons mix with vengeance frenzied youth. The comparisons to the movie Traffic are apt, but I felt City of God takes the morose tone and tint technique to a whole new level. The contrasting light and darkness of the South American sun juxtaposed with the dark depths of the slum provides a dizzying sense of chaotic focus. The characters often flash by, but you feel you know them very well, and their images stay with you. City of God is edited in an interesting way, kind of patchwork, but it all makes so much sense in the end. It is a film unflinching in its brutality, never shying from seriously disturbing images. It's a movie of brilliant anarchy, where the viewer is forced to watch an ever changing environment. A must see.
Rating:
Summary: Third world Masterpiece!!!
Review: Easily the best film of 2002 and probably the best film of the past 15 years!!! I hate doing reviews 'coz I think films should speak for themselves, but here is something... This ultra disturbing crime saga from the gethos of Rio de Janeiro is about "REAL" criminals that has nothing to loose but to survive starvation by becoming cold blooded gangters in order to get respect from others in the city of God. This is the real survival of the fittest. Some of the stuff you will see here is unbelievable!!!. Beautifully filmed, amazing fotography, wonderfully edited, incredible soundtrack and music, fine acted, sharp creative story and wisely directed; City of God should go down on history as the first "True" cinematic masterpiece of the 21th century. I can't get enough of it....please try this film if you are a true lover of art cinema or just to see what Hollywood will never dare to offer... you will not regret it.
Rating:
Summary: Brutally Honest!
Review: City of God is certainly one of the most exceptional foreign language films in movie history! The movie excels in every level. The captivating camera shots make a truly fascinating cinematography. Editing was brilliantly done with some Pulp Fiction influence added into it. No single actor's performance particulary outshine the most, but the ensemble performance, from the street kids to the crime masterminds, is remarkably convincing! The screenwriter made the story so suspenseful, bold and daring, that you would not want to miss a single scene. And the truly best aspect of the movie is its ingenious filmmaking. Watch out for the "apartment scene" where the genius director shows how one small apartment drastically transforms as its inahabitants change through the years. I would not recommend the film though to people with a weak stomach. I must admit that watching this film was pretty difficult to me because i have no experience of residing in the slums or what other people calls "the ghetto." Everything might come extremely shocking if you are not aware of the reality drug trades and gang wars. There are very graphic violent scenes so watch it at your own risk. I would recommend it though to people who wants to see something honest, bold and dare. It is one of the, or probably the, most brutally honest film you will ever see! What this film achieved is boldness, directness, and honest filmmaking at its finest!
Rating:
Summary: The Real Deal
Review: This movie is past a 5 star rating. i was introduced to the version that was released in brazil. i have a friend from Sao Paulo and she let me watch this. this movie is 100% real. the actors are not actors they are regular kids and teens from the streets. they did screen test and did not let the kids know that they were going to be in a movie. then months past (while the kids learned the roles and characters) until they met the director. the kids had no script, they just had certain things to say but it was to be said in their own words since they are from the City of God. there is no acting in this movie, it is all real. on the dvd, they show how they set up this place to train the kids to be be them selves and they trained so long that they became professional. if you watch the movie you will understand. if you buy and dont like it, ill buy it off of you. this movie is truely wonderful and it means a lot to me.
Rating:
Summary: No one is innocent
Review: "City of God" by Fernando Meirelles provides an overwhelming experience that engages all your senses. The spectator is left intoxicated on an overdose of blood, smoke and sweat from the strong colors and powerful sensations that mark each frame. The complex narrative structure features three intersecting stories set in three different epochs or decades staring with the 60's and ending in the 80's. The fast paced anecdotal style of storytelling is perhaps a direct consequence of the many years of experience that Meirelles has had in directing commercials. The main issue in the film is that drugs are violence; the violence like the drugs create a problem of dependence, which affects everyone, even the innocent. Such is the case of the bus driver mane Galinha who commits murder in order to avenge the rape of his girlfriend, while He will end up being murdered himself during a bank robbery. In this sense the film has a circular logic. There are no winners, everyone from the policeman to the reporter as well as the drug dealer are responsible and guilty in some way. Another fascinating aspect is that the actors were all chosen among the very streets and 'favelas', which the film depicts - in as style reminiscent of the Iranian Abbas Kiarostami and Italian Neo-realism.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible Film
Review: I lived in Rio for 5 years and while parts of it are heaven on earth this film gives you a look at the other side. The favelas are off-limits to virtually anyone who doesn't want to risk his or her life but there are plenty of young males who will come out to find you: i was robbed 3 times, followed probably another 10 times. it is a rare Carioca, or long-term resident gringo, who doesn't have some harrowing tale to tell. This film is intense, provocative and one has to wonder if it's not showing us a taste of the near-future for many countries around the world, given the predicted explosion in population and poverty.
Rating:
Summary: Brutal but Brilliant.
Review: Cidade de Deus (City of God) is a vicious and simply inspiring film about the slum 'City of God' in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It weaves the stories of many memorable characters such as Benny, Carrot, Knockout Ned and many more. However, its main focuses are the narrator, Rocket who informs the viewer of the inhabitants of the slum while telling his story and L'il Ze, the infamous and cruel leader of the slum. Pros:
The great point about this film is the pure and emotionally charged feelings that the actors display especially Rocket and L'il Ze. I never knew that most actors here were non-professional but judging from their performances who cares? They could easily beat a Shakespearian actor in terms of intensity and ability. It is also an original film in terms of camera shots and how the film was paced. It could have been turned into a pretentious documentary about the slums of Rio de Janeiro but didn't and stayed to true to what it was trying to perceive. I could in no way relate with the characters but that didn't stop me adoring the characters and their personalities. Cons: None at all. Every film should have a flaw but this one just doesn't. Every aspect of the film was superb from the acting to the soundtrack.
Rating:
Summary: ALEXS CAPSULE MOVIE REVIEWS
Review: Highlights: vivid direction; believable acting; intense plot.
Lowpoints: a little too Scorsese/Tarantino-like Conclusion: Using first-time actors - real kids with no performing experience - the director's first feature is certainly an enthralling piece of work, vibrant with energy and style. Shot mostly with hand-held camera, 'City of God' is indeed soaked through with realism, its drama accentuated by scenes that startle with brutality (beware of the one involving little kids and a gun, it DOES end the way you are terrified it might). Despite obvious homage to Martin Scorsese (extended camera shots; the plot involving the life of a young suburban kid and his friends trying to survive is told in a similar structure to 'Goodfellas') and Quentin Tarantino (the contrast of wit vs brutality in the sparkling dialogue), we have obvious talents here, ladies and gents. Believe the hype - this one is worth having.
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