Crazy good but intense movie

Rating: 9/10 (21 September 2016)

This movie shocked and disturbed me, made me laugh, and even made me cry. Throughout the film, I felt a roller-coaster of emotions because it was packed with such complex human interactions and feelings. I hated all the violence, but I understand why it was necessary to be a part of the movie. The 60s and 70s in Rio and its slums were a crazy time full of violence and serious gang issues. The violence shown in the film added to the raw reality of the film, showed the craziness of the time period, and also helped to created empathy for some of the characters. I loved all the techniques that the director used to tell the story like the quick frames, split screens, photo lens, and backtracking. It really made the visual aspect of the movie very interesting and added a new layer to it. My favorite character by far was Rocket because he was a good kid who tried to stay out of the violence. All he really wanted to do was to take pictures, and I like how he used his unfortunate situation to help progress his future photography career. I would highly recommend this movie mostly because of the amazing story it tells and the artistry with which it is told.