One of the most unique movies I have seen this decade.

Rating: 9/10 (4 February 2008)

City of God is a brilliant film in every sense of the word, perfectly constructed, with an effortless sense of style and a hard hitting sense of realism hammering home an important social message.
The main character, if there is one, is Rocket a young boy obsessed with photography; though the film tells the stories of many of the men living in the City of God. Their stories intertwine for a decade or so and we follow each character through their every step. through the film however, no one is outright good, even Rocket seems to profit from the crime with his photos. However by the last act everyone has paid for their sins.
The film works on many levels and the characteristics of many genres, social realism, action, drama and are all present in spades. The film begins with an intense scene as the group of 'hoods chase a chicken through the cramped favela streets, the film displaying a sense of wit (who wasn't on the side of the chicken) and being instantly accessible for the 'mtv generation' with quick editing and flashy camera techniques. The acting is fantastic, especially when considering that few of the stars had acted before. The 'hand or foot' scene sticks out as particularly heart wrenching.
In all this is a perfect and beautiful mix of both style and substance and is well worth your time.