Good movie, not best picture

Rating: 7/10 (23 March 2009)

Living in Brasil I wasn't able to see this movie until now. So I was eager to see what it was all about. While I really enjoyed the movie, as a movie, in my opinion, it was very formulaic. The boys born in a bad situation, mother dies, they are on the street, one goes bad, the other good, the girl wants to be good, but can't because of the circumstance. Good boy works hard and makes it, the bad boy excels at being bad, except in the very end when he does the one thing to redeem himself. And the boy and girl live happily ever after. I saw almost the same film, but in Portuguese and done 6 or 7 years ago. Fine actors, wonderful directing, interesting to watch. Not best picture.