City of Men
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Movie Reviews of City of Men
Movie Review: Amazingly visceral and engaging.
Summary: 5 Stars
The acting is engaging, the episodes are well-written and beautifully filmed and the character development is second to no other television show or film I've ever seen. Throughout the series there is an unprecedented blend of drama and humor that is sublimely touching.
After a few episodes you will find yourself thinking about the characters as if you know them personally, especially the incredibly multi-faceted main characters Acerola and Laranjinha. You will find yourself feeling a complete spectrum of emotion as you follow the two boys through agonizing challenges and life lessons that are often used as a vehicle of social commentary about Brazilian political and social structures. This commentary is delivered in a variety of original ways including interviews with real people cut right into the middle of story-lines and unscripted interactions between the show's actors filmed in a documentary style.
In addition to the fantastic character development there is equally impressive development of setting. There were times I felt I was running right along with the characters through the rough, disorienting, labyrinth of a neighborhood they live in. The distance between you on your couch and the environment on your television screen will never feel smaller than it does while watching City of Men.
All of that said, there are times where the seemingly insurmountable challenges Acerola and Laranjinha face feel formulaic and there are a couple episodes that are noticeably less enjoyable than the others because of inexplicable plot developments and inconsistencies, to the point where at times I was wondering if I had missed episodes. (One episode ends with one of the boys stating, "We never saw him again...", about a character who appears in the very next episode.) Also, if you find yourself as immersed in Acerola and Laranjinha's lives as I did, the last episode will feel like a bit of a slap in the face.
All in all this series is well worth the 13 odd hours you will spend watching. At it's worst it is wildly entertaining and evocative and at it's best it transcends it's medium to directly enhance your core understanding of society, privilege, oppression (mainly of poor people by government establishments), and the fundamental experiences, (love, friendship, work, pride, hardship, fear, the search for identity and meaning) that we all share.
Movie Review: Growing up in Rio de Janeiro's Favelas
Summary: 5 Stars
The movie is about two teenagers,Acerola and Laranjinha.Both are 13 yrs.old,although as you go further along the series,they progressively become older teenagers. They grow up in Rio de Janeiro's dangerous slum(called the favelas)where it is said that residents are lucky if they live up to the age of 20. The City of Men is an excellent comedy drama where humor is mixed with the harsh reality of an environment of crime,drugs,sex and instant death. The scenes as well as the sounds such as the gunshots are so realistic that one may wonder if he/she is watching an actual true-to-life high quality footage of a crime scene.
The two kid actors are so talented that you may be so engrossed with the movie that you'll begin to feel you are part of the scene following those two and sharing their fears,uneasiness,disappointments,risks and repugnance to the crimes they witness blending with their spirit,courage,
gentleness,compassion,humor and accomplishments.All of these reflected in a setting of poverty. You couldn't help but love these two kids as you go along and see them through the episodes. Brazilian Portuguese with English subtitles. Abssolutely 5 stars.
Movie Review: A heart-warming show injected with tons of humor and personality
Summary: 5 Stars
Cidade dos Homens is one of those shows that breaks your heart and at the same makes you feel like there's hope for some of the world's poorest people, os favelados in Brasil.
Cidade dos Homens (City Of Men) follows the two young men, Acerola and Laranjinha, as they live, survive and hustle in the favela. It's obvious that the boys are mischievous, and they get into many a scrape, but it's also clear that the boys have good hearts.
The cast of characters and life lessons taught and shown in the series bring a face to the suffering of the people in the favelas. When Espeto's girlfriend waits in line all night just to get her boyfriend a job sweeping streets, only to have him be turned down because he cannot read and write (as Espeto astutely points out: Why do I need to know how to read and write to sweep the streets?), we can see the chokehold bureaucracy and incompetence have on Brazilians.
Despite all these obstacles and roadblocks, Cidade dos Homens(City of Men) is full of smiles, joyful moments and lots of great music. It's a coming of age story, albeit one with a slightly different perspective.
Movie Review: Greatest TV show ever?
Summary: 5 Stars
Huge fans of Fernando Mereilles and his masterpiece, City of God, will definitely enjoy this TV spin-off. Set in the [same?] favela of Rio de Janeiro, the series follow the misadventures and growth of two friends who must deal with the harsh realities of poverty, drugs, love, and life. The last time I saw a show this impressive and entertaining was with Judd Apatow's Freaks and Geeks. City of Men however exceeds Freaks in that one is immersed in a nation's sensitive politics. This for me is the show's biggest draw-- Mereilles and his crew have captured the look and feel of the favela such that one can feel the searing heat of the streets.
Could this be the greatest television program ever created? One can make a strong argument that it may be so. It has comedy, drama, action-- pretty much everything that made City of God an amazing movie to begin with. Imagine seeing that for some 12 hours. I highly recommend it.
Movie Review: Great if you have lots of time to spare
Summary: 5 Stars
This Brazilian tv series tells an interesting series of stories about life growing up in the slums of Rio de Janeiro. If you saw the movie City of God, you'll recognize some of the actors from the movie as characters in this series. If you've ever been to Rio or have an interest in Brazil, the series seems to capture a bit of the spirit of the Brazilian people.
The movie was great, and the shows are about as good but with significantly less violence. Many of the episodes are heartwarming or moving. The stories are different enough that they don't get dull or trite. The only problem I have with the series collection is that I don't have enough time to watch all the episodes.