Impressive but irresponsible

Rating: 1/10 (2 February 2003)

Imagine what it would have been like if Tarantino made a film about the D.C. area sniper shootings, then you'll get "City of God" - a sensational, cold and calculated stylistic exercise based on compelling real-life human drama. The story of the kids involving in the drug trade turf wars is an extraordinary one, but somehow the filmmaker has managed to reduce it to a showcase of his cinematic bag of tricks. This film has left me completely cold, and disgusted by the filmmaker's intentions.