Tag Archive for 'Douglas Silva'

City of Men

Published
by
Chalupa
on January 8, 2009
in Based on TV Series, Brazil, Crime, Drama and Family
. 0 Comments

City of Men is a sequel of sorts, based off a TV show, to City of God.  It takes place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and shows a peak into the lives of some young men living there.  The city is wrought with strife and gang wars.  This film illustrates some of the problems these children and young adults face just because of the color the their skin, where they live, who they’re related to, and what gang they belong to.  It also speaks a lot to fatherhood, or the lack thereof.

This story mainly consists of the relationship between two friends, Ace and Wallace.  They’re turning 18 and have come to the point in life where they’re finally grown up.  Ace already has a son and Wallace is in search of his biological father.  In the middle of everything, a gang war erupts putting these lifelong friends at odds.

I don’t feel like there’s much more I can say without giving away too much.  It’s a really great film and if you saw City of God, you need to see the follow up to the TV Series sequel.  I think there’s less violence in this film, but it’s just as powerful as the first.

Rating: ★★★★☆

City of God

Published
by
Chalupa
on June 11, 2005
in Based on a novel, Based on a true story, Brazil, Crime, Drama, Foreign, Graphic Violence and Multiple story line
. 1 Comment

Here’s my first review of a Netflix movie…..
City of God is the story of a photographer in Rio de Janeiro. It starts off, backtracks to his childhood and goes all the way up to the current situation and then ends. This is a story about life in slums in one of the larger cities in one of the larger countries in the world. It shows a bit about what it’s like to live on the streets and be a hoodlum vs. getting a job and trying to be a respectable citizen. This may not be a film for everyone just because of content. It’s nothing too terrible, just life on the streets and gangs running around doing their thing. This is a film that most definitely makes me feel grateful for living where I do, growing up with privileges that many around the world will never get a chance to have. So if you haven’t seen this one go out and rent it.