Movie Review: City of God (2002)

[Dave Gray]

City of God (2002)

Premise: Following the story of a relatively good kid growing up in a dangerous neighborhood in Rio de Janiero, we see children take over gangs, that will do anything to get on top - deal, steal, rape, and murder.

Rating: Good, but fuckin' disturbing.

This is based on a true story.  Basically, life sucks down there.  Kids are all but forced into these gangs through poverty, and the violence spreads from there.  Sometimes it's hard to watch rape scenes, kids doing drugs, or one child shooting another in the face -- and it's definitely hard to watch all three in one film.  However, it's a very powerful and eye-opening story, if you can muster up the will to watch it.

Oh yeah, and it's subtitled.

Edited to add:

By the way, on a direction level, this is really well done.  ...the shots are interesting and the story loops back onto itself.  They don't tell this in chronological order, so much as in character order.

[Buddhagirl]

This was an amazing movie. 

[sugarbush]

I liked the movie a lot.  Very cool.
But people, please Brazil is not like this.
Yes, it exists but its only in the ghetto.
I lived in Brazil for 9 years of my life and nothing like that ever happened in my neighborhood. 
Actually I don't know anyone, my whole family still lives there, that lives like the movie.
So boys please visit Brazil and get a cheap 15 year old hooker.

[jtex316]

I lived in Brazil for 2 years, and while it's not like the movie probably makes it out to be, there are some bad areas of Rio de Janeiro and it's suburbs.  But then there's the Imperial Hotel on Ipanema Beach, and you trully are in paradise, with Copacabana right around the corner.

But they had a huge mosquito infestation in the 90's with bad sewage and water treatment problems.  Hopefully the new economy fixed all that.

[Dave Gray]

I liked the movie a lot. Very cool.
But people, please Brazil is not like this.
Yes, it exists but its only in the ghetto.

The movie makes it very clear that this kind of extreme behavior is the ghetto only.  ...they show the city where people live with the ammenities that we're all used to.

[ADeadSmitty]

So boys please visit Brazil and get a cheap 15 year old hooker.

Wait, what?

[Sunstroke]

So boys please visit Brazil and get a cheap 15 year old hooker.

You don't have to tell me twice!

I am off to Brazil! If anyone needs me, I'll be in Sao Paulo at La Ostra De Gemido, sipping 15 year old Scotch and flipping 15 year old Brazilians. Leave a message at the desk and I'll get back to ya...

[sugarbush]

Call the girls "gostosa or gatinha" and i promise the panties will drop.
Other good words that makes the ladies wet "beijo, anjo, tudo bem."
and thats your portuguese lesson for the day.

[Sunstroke]

Call the girls "gostosa or gatinha" and i promise the panties will drop.
Other good words that makes the ladies wet "beijo, anjo, tudo bem."
and thats your portuguese lesson for the day.

Thanks...I've cut and pasted this into my "ammunition to get me laid if ever stranded abroad" document. I can flatter the ladies on 5 continents now! 

[Househead]

Saw this movie last night and was very impressed. I highly recommand it. 

[jtex316]

The hell with "Gatinha" and "Gotosa".  Just say "dollar", and the world is yours.

[Jeno]

The hell with "Gatinha" and "Gotosa". Just say "dollar", and the world is yours.

Hahahahaha!!