One of the best movies I've seen

Rating: 10/10 (7 March 2018)

As someone who loves movies (especially foreign movies) I thought this movie was well directed and well acted (especially when the actors were told to improvise sometimes). I remember watching this movie twice when I was ( and still am) interested in learning Brazilian Portuguese. It's a gritty tale yet one that still has hope. One thing I thought was a little weird was how some of the names were changed in the subtitles.
Adapted by the book of the same name, The story's about 2 boys who grow up in Cidade de Deus (City of God) and follow 2 different paths. One nicknamed "Rocket" (Alexandre Rodrigues, Luis Otávio ) becomes a photographer while the other named "Li'l Ze" (Douglas Silva, Leandro Firmino) becomes a Kingpin of the hood. They cross paths a few times and their story's connected to each other in some way or form. Slowly and slowly we learn about the people that live there and how it affects their life. A good example's a man who's girlfriend and brother was murdered by "Li'l Ze". His nickname it "Knockout Ned" and he sides with rival "Carrot" for revenge leading to an all out war between both sides.
The movie's well shot and acted. You can identify with the characters especially "Rocket" who does his best to get out of the hood and not be bogged down by all the corruption around him. It's also interesting how he knows about the history of almost every character and how he interacts with them. It's also interesting to note that this's one of Alice Braga's first movies during her career. All in all this movie stands the test of time.