Oh my God! This movie was amazing!

Rating: 10/10 (27 February 2004)

`City of God' is a Brazilian cinematic masterpiece. Thank God that it has been nominated for 4 academy awards. Director Fernando Meirelles mesmerizing look at teenage ganglords in a Brazilian slum-town nicknamed the City of God is one of the best crime films of all time. Hey! I know this might be an overstatement so please do not gang up on me. The film is narrated by the reticent teenager named Rocket who lives in the `city of god' but is not a hoodlum himself. However, he is surrounded by a life of crime & violence that commands this ghetto. The teenage ganglords control the city of god and there is minimal police intervention. Hey, why not start a Youth Crime Watch program? I had to shoot that one in there (shameless promotion). Alexandre Rodrigue as Rocket sparks up an astronomical performance. However, the most puissant performance of the film is delivered by Leandro Firmino as the menacing youth gang-leader Lil'Ze. His killing-spree ruthless demeanor makes him the most intimidating character I have seen in film this year. Among the aforementioned, other godlike attributes in the `City of God' is the amplitude that Meirelles inserts in its screenplay & narrative. The film is based on accounts of a true story and Meirelles & Screnwriter Paulo Lins are most credible in keeping it Rio, I mean real. `City of God' is magisterial but yet disturbing. Nevertheless, it should be blessed as one of the best foreign films in history. ***** Excellent