Truly Brutal

Rating: 8/10 (1 June 2013)

I have never seen crime glorified in this way. Frankly, a little psychopath in me giggled at the end. Godfather and Goodfellas were great but they seemed to be more white collar when compared to our IT lives. City Of God (Cidade de Deus) is what crime is, means and should end like. Crude, naked and gory. Set in Cidade de Deus in Rio de Janeiro and based on novel by the same name, movie showcases the underbelly of crime in its crudest avatar.
Movie is woven around few characters and shows their rise and fall. Lil Joe and Bene are the main criminals, Knockout Ned is the antihero and Rocket is the protagonist who is a photographer. The story revolves around these central characters and a number of small characters who play their valuable parts as the story progresses. The language is crude. Crime is almost guilt/remorse free. But the most important fact is the convincing power of the actors as they play their role.
Even if story is kept apart, the film is technically brilliant. The shots of the Brazillian suburb are simply brilliant. Be it the initial chicken scene, the chase scene, scenes of brutal murders in den and the climax. Everything is brilliantly choreographed. Art direction is equally compelling. Bets thing is that one can see the locality first hand without any shade of artificiality. Direction is obviously awesome. Fernando Meirelles and co-director Kátia Lund brought out a sensation on screen. Accolades attest that.