Reviews of City of God

Divine!

Posted : 1 year, 1 month ago on 4 October 2008 08:03 (A review of City of God)

''You need more than guts to be a good gangster, you need ideas.''


Two boys growing up in a violent neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro take different paths: one becomes a photographer, the other a drug dealer.

Alexandre Rodrigues: Buscapé - Rocket

Leandro Firmino: Zé Pequeno - Li'l Zé

Guns, drugs, ambitious youths, gangs, killing...What's not to like about City Of God?, it's got all these serious issues in a potent mix...

Brilliant narration that whole heartedly pulls you in. The character's in the story solidifies like a spider web newly spun. Detail is not enough to describe City Of God as a word alone. Feast your eyes upon one of the greatest films directed by acclaimed Director Fernando Merielles.

City Of God, Cidade de Deus is a way of life that unfortunately exists in the world. As bad and evil as it is I oddly felt a strange satisfaction and sense of awe at the power of wielding a gun and it's effect of godly superiority upon it's wielder. When shooting and killing is as easy as breathing, problems in your life pale in comparison compared to City Of God.

Based on Paulo Lins' eyewitness testimony of the bloody turf war which for years raged in Rio De Janeiro's most notorious slum, City Of God contains enough indelible characters and unforgettable stories to fill several good films. After some five years of preparation, director Meirelles marshals this wealth of material in a dizzying variety of ways, finding (even after two hours of gun battles) new ways to shoot and edit a sequence.

However, if City Of God were notable chiefly for inventive editing, then it would be merely a remarkable technical achievement; but the film's real ace is the kids. Through an exhaustive series of open auditions and workshops, Meirelles and co-director Lund not only unearthed dozens of non-professionals right out of the favelas, they also encouraged them to improvise large sections of the script.
The scene in which two young kids must decide whether they want to be shot in the hand or the foot contains some of the most powerful acting ever committed to film with devastating consequences.

The multiple stories told are really beautiful, you feel more than a spectator. you feel part of their world. Rocket, Ze, Bene, Thiago and Sandro...these characters, I feel like I've been through their ordeals and transgressions with them. The photography also in this was fascinating showing there's more than one way of ''shooting'' something.

A masterpiece, a true story...my review, my words, a small tribute in return for the greatness that is City Of God.

It ends how it begins..
With no Winners...

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City of God review

Posted : 1 year, 6 months ago on 11 May 2008 08:37 (A review of City of God)

Um marco no cinema brasileiro!

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Brilliant and unmissable!

Posted : 1 year, 6 months ago on 22 April 2008 07:35 (A review of City of God)

"You need more than guts to be a good gangster, you need ideas."

There is a rather unsavoury, chaotic part of Rio de Janeiro that not many tourists get to see. City of God is a Portuguese film that exposes this part of the country; showing us scenes of relentless murders, crimes, wars and other things in that vein.

From start to finish, City of God is an extremely powerful, enthralling, compelling experience. The beginning of the film establishes clearly what we about to experience, and quite plainly states 'welcome to hell'. We are thrown into a part of Rio de Janeiro that encompasses all the gangs and crime lords.

The film chronicles many decades in this region where murder and crime are commonplace. We follow our protagonist Rocket (Rodrigues) who is also the central narrator of the piece. The film opens at the climax of the movie, but from there Rocket tells his story through flashbacks of the decades of crime that have governed his existence since he was a boy. Growing up in such a chaotic neighbourhood, Rocket had come to terms with the fact that all boys will usually grow up to become members of a gang and will become mixed up in the world of crime and murder.

Rocket has no desire to be a hood, and is determined to avoid the gangster life. Instead he aims to escape his brutal surroundings by becoming a professional photographer.

City of God is an uncompromising look at life in the parts of Rio de Janeiro that actually exist. The film never holds back on authenticity; displaying graphic killings as well as explicit images of drugs, sex and murder. Because of such a gritty look that the film establishes, it firmly feels like documentary footage that has been filmed by someone caught in the crossfire.

The film proves that you don't need flashy special effects and big name stars to tell your story, but rather gritty realism and ruthless images.

The performances felt quite real, and at some point in the film you will probably be in tears because of its authenticity. But on this point, the film's biggest flaw was the style it was filmed in. I can appreciate the shaky cam as it firmly positions the audience in the action, but the fast shots and the unnecessary close-ups are what ultimately spoilt the cinematography. And aside from all the relentless images and its great style, the film has nothing else going for it; no solid plot, no overly memorable characters, as well as plenty of scenes that felt out of place and marred its pacing.

City of God has been compared to American films such as Scorsese classics. Scorsese's films are generally superior, but City of God is still a mighty impressive effort. Brutal, realistic, authentic, disturbing, provocative, gritty - everything is present here. Well worth seeing for those who can stomach it.

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Vívida

Posted : 1 year, 7 months ago on 25 March 2008 05:38 (A review of City of God)

La película te transporta al mundo de la favela con un ritmo enloquecedor. Además tiene varios guiños cinematográficos impresionantes. La mejor combinación posible entre cine documental, policial, de crítica social y acción. HAY QUE VERLA.

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Gangster Film in Subtitles

Posted : 1 year, 8 months ago on 16 February 2008 09:49 (A review of City of God)

I'm sure this is a very good it movie, for a gangster movie. But to me, it takes a lot for it to elevate to anything more. I can't get attached to people in these kind of films, no matter how sad a background, or what circumstances put them there. Whether it hereditary family war, mafia, etc. I just never end up caring about what happens to the characters. And this was no different, just because it took place in the slums of Brazil.

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Best ever

Posted : 3 years, 1 month ago on 9 October 2006 11:02 (A review of City of God)

This is one of the greatest movies ever. If you haven't seen it, go see it now.

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