It's a great realistic film that tells the truth.

Rating: 9/10 (5 April 2006)

I'm an American living in Brazil for 5yrs now. I watched the movie on TV the other night and was very impressed with it. The quality was very good and gives you the feeling of actually being there and viewing it first hand. The movie depicts life as it was and still is. The people here are generally extremely poor and desperate. The corruption within this country can be found in ever level of Government and under the table payoffs are a way of life for many. Life is cheap and large numbers of people across the country die a violent death every day. Drugs are prevalent and a big money maker for the drug lords. Every kind of drug can be found being sold on the streets. The poorest of the drug users use a cheap drug by-product which make them easy to identify as their front teeth are missing or black and rotting away. Others walk around sniffing glue. Certain areas of Rio de Janeiro are controlled by the drug lords and their followers just like it's depicted in the movie. They have a small army of very young children working as runners taking orders and delivering the drugs to the waiting customer. In those areas it's not uncommon to see even the children walking openly brandishing a firearm. Even the military and police hesitate to enter these areas as it closely resembles a war zone. What you will see in the movie, believe it, because it is NOT an exaggerated fictional movie. These things are happening in cities all across Brazil every day. On the flip side the majority of people here are very kind generous loving families. They are very religious are honest hard working people. The students work extremely hard to get good grades so they will be able to win a full scholarship to attend the best universities in the nation. Just because someone lives and grows up in a favela (slum) it doesn't mean they condone the lawlessness. Some do become great leaders in every walk of life. I can honestly say I know some of them and am very proud to be able to call them my friends. Watch the movie and I can guarantee you'll be stunned and left thinking about it for day with a sad heart that this exists in our world.