If "GoodFellas" were set in Rio de Janeiro

Rating: 10/10 (24 April 2012)

Films either rely more on style and less on substance, or more on substance and less on style. Here is a film which finds the perfect balance. Set in the slums of Rio de Janeiro, it takes the dreary atmosphere of desperation and poverty and breathes new life into it, giving it a pulse of color and rapid camera movement. This film follows the life of Rocket, a kid born to be into crime merely to survive, and how he becomes what he wanted to be. He is the narrator, and it opens with him being caught in what appears to be a scuffle between a local gang, and the cops. But he quickly interjects, telling us as the audience how we won't understand unless we know the entire story, and so it begins with one of the most minor and clever tricks of the camera. These little bits exist so completely in this film, you hardly notice them, they work so effectively. They work to bring you into the slum, and between the narrator and the director, you'll feel as though you've lived in a slum all of your life, and are merely used to the goings-on. This film is truly a spectacle to behold, and one of the best films I've ever seen.