Cidade de Deus (2002)

Trailer

You need more than guts to be a good gangster, you need ideas.
So basically: Rocket retells the story of the slum. He recounts when he was a boy and the reign of the Tender Trio robbing gas trucks. When he was 18, and Li’l Ze took over the drug run. And a decade later, when Li’l Ze and Carrot are the only gang leaders left and the City of God is in the middle of the war. Throughout the violence of the slum, all Rocket wants to do is take pictures.

I don’t usually like these types of movies. But, I think it’s because I’m so used to the American ones, and they really can’t do them right. It never gets boring and you’re never left wondering why we care about these kids, and the stories weave into each other (this tends to happen to me with films about multiple stories) because it’s done excellently. Rocket makes a good narrator and brings the audience into the slums of Rio de Janeiro.

The story was handled brilliantly by the director and defs deserves to be on the list! Check out the sequel, Cidade dos Homens, too!

Ziggi seal of approval!