Visceral Brilliance

Rating: 8/10 (3 April 2009)

A wonderful film that succeeds in paying homage to the American gangster film genre whilst at the same time creating a distinct world all of its own.An unknown cast is brilliantly Directed by Fernando Meirelles to offer a stunning insight into the world of the slums in Brazil, and in particular The City of God.
Although telling the story over the decades of a group of slum children, and concentrating on one who made good, and another who made very bad,an Everyman story also emerges of poverty, survival and quick wits.The stunning Cinematography contrasts sharply with the grimy tale that unfolds told almost exclusively through the eyes of the young protagonists.
A body count unfolds which would make Tarantino blush, and we quickly become desensitised to the casual deaths, often of children.Yet a richness of spirit emerges which , helped by some gallows humour, keeps the story bounding along at a brisk pace.few films justify a 130 minute running time, this does.Told in episodic fashion each section is produced in a highly disciplined manner.With little in the way of special effects the narrative has to triumph, and it does.A particularly noticeable feature is that unlike in Hollywood, when rounds are fired, people are shot, and stay shot.
A foreign language tour de force.