Review of City of God (2002) by Tom W — 12 Mar 2014
City of God is without a doubt one of, if not, the best 'based on a true story' films of the last few decades...its an absolutely fascinating tale of the development/evolution of crime, gangs, and Rio de Janiero.
...the film progresses throughout a time frame of about 20 years, so it is so interesting to see how gangs, or hoods as they're called here, progressed from Robin Hood like figures in the community to something that absolute devastate.
..this concept is often paralleled in many organized crime lore in the American film industry (e.g. the idea that modern gang members and criminals have no honor code...etc.)...but to really see it 'action' here in a pseudo-real world situation was quite interesting.
..keeping in line with the evolution of crime, it was also both interesting and saddening to see the vicious cycle of crime....old bosses and drug lords being killed off by the young, more motivated, and seemingly crueler individuals growing up in this world of crime.
...the performances here are good and believable, but in a true story like this, you are really focusing in on the story rather than the characters themselves...City of God teaches no real lesson, but rather its aim is to unveil the struggle that was/is life in Rio de Janiero.
..its a horrifyingly honest trip into the slums of la Cidade de Deus...and you'll enjoy every second of it.
This review of City of God (2002) was written by Tom W on 12 Mar 2014.
City of God has generally received very positive reviews.
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