brilliant, energized, hyper-real, crushing! talk about your tough childhoods.

Rating: 10/10 (21 February 2003)

wow! this film really blew me away. every single performance was right on the money, everything felt so real it was like watching a documentary, but oozing with style. this is one of the most powerful films i have seen in a long time and provided an uncompromising look into the brutal everyday world of the kids in the slums of rio. heartbreaking!