The Hype and Acclaim is Real: Cidade de Deus delivers.

Rating: 9/10 (31 August 2006)

Long before have I seen movies being overly praised but were not worth the hype and time and vice versa for the rest. It's been like that for a few years already.
But now finally, I can see a film that's pretty close to perfection and one that everyone has been right about for four years already. This is the story of Rocket and Ze, one who becomes the most notorious criminal and dealer in the "City of God" and the other who tries to make a hard, honest living while tasting the temptation that is drugs, sex, and vengeance.
The movie portrays the "City" as a land of corruption but at the same time undeniably beautiful to look at. Through the cracked walls and deteriorated letterheads from decade old paint, there lies an incredible and breath-taking city. Through a style similar to Tony Scott's Man on Fire, Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund portray the city in a "grunge-shine" point of view, with a realistic shaky camera (complete with zoom ins and outs) to enhance the city and its inhabitants. Its use of colors and interesting angles throughout the entire film (with a few creative shots tucked in) gave it an edgy look that makes it near impossible to turn away from. The visual imagery I thought was incredible...but not the only reason to like the film.
The story is surprisingly well-thought out. Before you know it, twists are implemented here and there, which I think is fantastic. The best films, to me, let you soak into the atmosphere and characters and while you gaze and become fascinated with them, *BOOM*! The writers secretly add in a few flashbacks and interesting twists and slam them into the picture, which prevent you from guessing beforehand on what's about to happen. And how can you? The movie captures you and absorbs you, making you feel that you're apart of the "City". While I wish certain characters, like Angelica, were emphasized as much as all the other characters, overall what you get is definitely worth the price of admission.
The characters themselves are pretty memorable. We have Rocket the photographer, Benny the stylish dealer, Ze the notorious bad guy, Knockout the good guy gone vengeful, and the little Runts. We have a whole lot of other characters as well, but these are the main characters we focus on. Through clever and interesting flashbacks, we get to know each of those characters more and find out more about events that have happened in the beginning of the film. As we near the end, the piece of the puzzles come together, the evil are finally punished, and the story is finally told. Poetic justice involving Ze, Knockout, and the Runts is especially evident near the end. Its pretty sad, yet fulfilling.
Top #20 material? Maybe. It has the goods and it delivers. But while it entertains, it didn't impact me immensely or have any catchphrases and whatnot. But for what I saw, it was a good film. One that should be viewed by all. I would recommend this to anyone who's even remotely interested in film, gang life, or stories about coming together in the face of destiny in general.