Down and dirty

Rating: 9/10 (2 April 2007)

This movie does not take any prisoners. Although I have not been into any "favella" (= ghetto) and I don't really know if the movie depicts it realistically, I do know that it is a gripping story. About kids growing up in a violent environment. Not that this movie is an action movie. It's a drama, with action scenes in it.
The style and the look remind you a little bit of a documentary, just to make things scarier/real. It fully achieves it's goal. The "actors" (the director mostly used people who really live or lived in Brazilian ghetto) are superb too. And since the story is well written and told, there is nothing more you could wish for. Of course if watch it in it's original version and don't speak Portuguese, than you will have to read the subtitles ... but it's more than worth it (and I personally prefer it that way)