Brilliant

Rating: 10/10 (10 November 2008)

You know, a classmate of mine told me for years I had to see this movie, and since we like the same kind of movies, I just knew it had to be great. Still, it lasted for about 3 years 'til I actually saw the movie.
Well, I was totally blown away! I watched it with my boyfriend, and nothing could prepare me for the realistic feeling this movie gives you. Normally, I really don't feel like watching a movie for 130 minutes, (I really think movies shouldn't be any longer than 90 minutes tops, but that aside) but by this movie I didn't want it to end. And that's rather crazy, because it's horrible what you see. And it makes it even more horrible to know that this is what's happening out there. You just know it by watching this movie.
I'll never forget a certain scene, involving two little kids and a couple of older kids, where one of the little kids starts to cry so intensely, it breaks your heart. I almost started to belief that this was no longer acting, but that this was what was happening at that moment, but then I thought: no way the director would do such a thing to this little boy, especially when you think about the reason why he even bothered to make this movie.
Well anyway, the thing is, you've got to be kind of prepared for this movie. It's no happy ending like we all see in those Hollywood-blockbusters, it's no horror like we see in the same movies, it's no thrill like we see in the same movies and it's even no humor like we see in those movies. Yes, even though the topic of this film is horrible, there's still a sense of humor in it too. And why? Because the director didn't direct this movie from one side of the story, but from both sides. You get to see the reason why those kids do what they do, what happened to them, why they choose to be with this man rather than with the other, why their lives are so bad, they really don't have another choice than this one. And all this time the director stays close with his people; he's not overdoing it. He knows why he's filming this and he knows how he wants to film this and he stays with that. You'll never get the feeling that this is such a Hollywood movie about a terrible topic, that in the end wants you to confess your sins and say: 'Yeah, you're right, we should do something about this, I should give my own life to do something about this.' None of that crap in Cidade De Deus: yeah, sure, he wants you to know what's going on and he's so straightforward that you'll feel like he's slapping you in the face, but nowhere you will find that thing Hollywood-movies do to you; he lets you think what you want to think. Just see and undergo this. Be one of their neighborhood for once. And he did a damn well job!
Go and see, really, you'll be blown away.