The harsh , brutal , cold reality

Rating: 9/10 (28 December 2006)

Brazil is a huge, vast country with enormous amounts of history and culture but having said that would you believe that only 10% of the population own 80% of its wealth? City Of God shows us what you could say is the hidden side of Brazil away from its glittery night life and laid back attitude, it is a cold, hard knock to the head which shows that the words 'Life is Cheap' live up to its expectations. The tag line of the movie is Fight and you won't survive , run and you won't escape and it could not be more closer to that as the movie shows us the life of kids/teens growing up in the slums of Rio De Janerio. Don't mistake this for a hyped up ghetto and glamorising gun-totting movie! City of God is a pure , raw side of life in the harsh slums of Rio where truly only the strong survive . The main character if you may is a guy called Rocket who just like any other teen dreams of the better things in life i.e. a good job , house , babes ! But always finds him-self down on his luck as he can never truly escape the dangers and problems that he faces growing up (as if being a teen is not tough enough!) The movie is then played out in a Pulp Fiction format showing the lives of the people around him and like him all of them have hopes and dreams but are all sucked into the harsh void of reality . The acting was top-notch all round and the direction of the movie just made you want more but to some it up in general City of God is an experiment with the truth which makes the likes of Snopp Dogg and 50 cent look like a bunch of playground bullies as it holds nothing back in showing the life faced living in Rio's slums and to what extend people will go to , to get what they want from life when circumstances don't give the basic things we take for granted in our lives. A powerful film and pleasure to watch.
CITY OF GOD 9 OUT 10
FOR NOW THIS IS THE SHADOWMAN WISHING YOU GOODNIGHT AND GOOD LUCK !