What's the big deal?

Rating: 8/10 (14 March 2005)

I have seen some documentaries on how Brazilian police can storm homes with no warrants. And Brazilian shop-owners will pay to murder homeless children because they steal from them. The movie has an 8.7 of 10 rating on IMDb.com. This is an incredible rating, needless to say. I found the camera work far above the norm. The direction was good, but I felt they stole a bit from Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Also, the story has been done before...poor community, drug dealing, corrupt cops, etc. I think the movie could have rocked if it was 25 minutes shorter, the characters more descriptive and understanding. After viewing the movie, it's difficult for me to understand how it received such high ratings. I found this movie no where near the top 100. It has no place among the best. The photography alone should not justify an 8.7. The story was full of holes, and again, it had been told before in hundreds if not thousands of other cultures.