City of God is my first Brazillian movie in my collection. It was directed by Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lund. I picked it up at random together with Irreversible.
Again, I have never heard of the movie before. I don't keep tab on what's going on in the International movie scene. I wish i could. It'll be good if i could keep tab on all the film festivals that go around the world. I wish someone would be generous enough to pay me to do that.
Anyway, back to the movie. It is not your normal primetime hollywood no brainer. The film is about a kid, called Rocket, an aspiring photographer who eventually not only tell the story of his life but the whole community as well.
Film direction is brilliant. No state-of-the-art computer graphic shit but simple cinematography using loose angles and still shots. Brilliantly done, it keeps up with the pace of the film.
The story goes deep into the slumps of Rio de Janeiro, how a group of kids grew up looting trucks and all. then there was and outcast who wanted to make it big. And he did it all by himself while watching his enemies fall one by one until he became the most notorious drug dealer in Rio.
I think the most interesting part is how the community is linked. Everybody somehow seemed to have met each other in at least one part of their life time. A sort of like "Hey, i know you" or "Hey, have we met some where?" kind of interaction.
The actors really played their role well. Everybody jived perfectly well, i didn't see any flaws in their acting at all. And what they said about child actors being able to act brilliantly is indeed true. (remember Iranian Children of Heaven and French Ponnette?).
However, the film is not without violence, Portuguese profanities, drugs and gore. Yes, enough blood to paint Rio red, not quite like the La Tomatina Tomato Festival in Spain but close.
Overall, I'd rate this film a good 4/5! Definitely a good watch.
Thanks for the review, bro. Am going to watch it tonight!
Watch out for my review, coming soon!
Posted by: Ash.ox | Friday, October 31, 2003 at 14:00
I'd like to recommend a few good foreign
movies you might be interested. I won't
give a review , but they are numero uno.
1. Grand Central - Brazil (Portuguese)
2. Train of Life - Yiddish
3. Shall We Dance - Japanese
Posted by: Soli | Friday, October 31, 2003 at 15:10
Hey, perhaps you would want to read by review of the movie here:
http://nizamzakaria.diaryland.com/030404_92.html
Posted by: Nizam Zakaria | Friday, October 31, 2003 at 15:43
Read pretty much reviews of it, but never watch it though. then again, I have not been hunting for DVDs yet. I heard there is so much homicide in it, certain people will get sick after the 50th homicide. The same ministry of culture that banned Simpson's episode where Homer were kidnapped by a cabbie driver in Brazil, actually approved this blood fest. Talk about being bias eh? I shall watch it nevertheless, or probably borrow it from you.
But there is some short review on certain foreign film (could be good, could be bad). Here is the link:
http://www.ruthlessreviews.com/movies/d/denverfilm2003.html [ruthlessreviews crew, my favourite boys, although not professional, I like their brutal honesty. Ha ha]
Posted by: vlad | Friday, October 31, 2003 at 16:01
Ash: Enjoy the movie
Soli: I'll try to source them out... sounds interesting
Nizam: Cool review, i think your rating is justified.
Vlad: Whenever u need it, gimme a buzz bro....
Posted by: KaZ | Friday, October 31, 2003 at 16:31
Oh yeah talking about child actor, I bet no kid could beat the one in Omen I
Posted by: vlad | Friday, October 31, 2003 at 17:15
Hey kaz, thanks for visiting my webbie and inviting me for the Movie Blogger thingy. Sure, i'm intersted.
just a warning tho'. Im not a good reviewer :)
Posted by: hafiz | Friday, October 31, 2003 at 21:06
IMHO, a review is when you watched and you review. It's yours. Don't have to be good or bad, after all there is so many reviewers out there, professional or not. So hafiz, cheers and I hope my good words to console you can have me borrowing Empire Records. He he bad bad Vlad
Posted by: vlad | Saturday, November 01, 2003 at 12:20
MUahahah vlad.
COme to subang then :)
Posted by: hafiz | Saturday, November 01, 2003 at 13:23
I thought this was a great movie. thought some of the scenes were a little too much for me to swallow. Super awesome!
Posted by: justine | Thursday, November 06, 2003 at 17:02