CITY OF GOD
Released: January 3, 2003
Director Fernando Meirelles serves up a bloody cinematic experience, one of the first ever films I've seen from Brazil. Two boys growing up in a violent neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro take different paths: one becomes a photographer, the other a drug dealer. Told in an out of order story design, "City Of God" is both amazing and frightening at the same time. City Of God is the name of the district of Rio de Janeiro that the tourists never get to see. The movie starts off with a chase scene, right in the heart of the City Of God. But - it's not a typical chase scene! A chicken at a streetside market is witnessing his other chicken friends and family get killed by the butcher. Seeing his imminent death, he breaks free from his shackles and makes a run for it. But - the gangs that control the butcher are summoned to chase the chicken. And that they do! With guns! The rest of the film is about as far from a Brazil tourist guide book as you can possibly get. Gangs clashing with rivals. Gunfights, torture and chaos reign here. Often with participants and victims as young as 5! This is a film that both shocks and enlightens. This is so frighteningly realistic that you often think you're watching a documentary. But the film, as directed by Meirelles, is cinematic in the style of "Pulp Fiction", very fun to watch from a film fan point of view. Not for the faint of heart but worth the journey for those that take the ride. Subtitled.
135 Minutes
Miramax/Buena Vista