"Best film you'll ever see." indeed.

Rating: Null/10 (19 April 2007)

For the 130 minutes of this movie, one is transported into the brazen unyielding world of the slums where the characters live. The cinematography and editing accurately reflect life and the various point of view. Searing orange and yellow landscapes, cold blues and murky shadows- the color palette itself is a visual work of art. Even with the fast paced narration, it still brings a sense of depth, unlike other films where the fast pace and the director's style overwhelm the characterization and heart of the movie.
It is well-shot without being stylish and incredibly slick. It brings you into the moment with the characters emotions without being mawkish. The scene where Lil Ze picks two of the Runts to teach them a lesson for example would definitely make your heart leap when one of them, barely 10 years old, starts bawling. But you're quickly drawn back into the world as it works- where respect and power rules. There is no god except for whoever claims that highest position. So it is doubly poignant when you actually see the gang members come together to pray the lord's prayer.
The movie pretty much runs on parallel tracks- when both Benny and Shaggy die while almost making it 'out' (out where, one never really knows; there is no world other than the very real one of the slums), and when each new character is revealed through association with an earlier character. Quite mind boggling stuff.
In line with that grittiness, the movie dips in and out of the various lives, painting a very solid impression of what its like to live in the slums through following the lives of the various characters. From Rocket to the Tender Trio to Shaggy to Benny to Lil Dice to Knockout Ned back to Rocket, the flow is seamless and clever. Until when you're brought back to Rocket, you feel like you've been dragged all over the slums and are ready for a release. Of course, the film doesn't end that predictably.
You're left remembering the different people you met in the slums, the slum itself acquiring a character of itself, and your mind boggled, and heart touched.
The film is more intricately pieced together than a single viewing might seem, but even that is enough to leave you breathless with a peek into the City of God. If there was a mandate saying that everyone could only watch five films for the rest of their lives, this one would take up a very worthy two spaces.