Review of Elite Squad: The Enemy Within (2010) by David H — 18 Mar 2014
A non-stop romp through through the underbelly, both literally and metaphorically, of Rio de Janeiro. Elite Squad takes narco-action and makes it uniquely Brazilian, combining political and socio-economic themes with helicopters sweeping the favellas with machine gun fire.
Dramatically on-pitch, director Jose Padhila crafts a narrative about drug dealers, crooked politicians and corrupt cops that leaves you both in dispair of the intratractabilty of the system and in admiration of those brave enough to resist it.
Wagner Moura, playing Col. Nascimento, adds depth to what is typically the cliche "cop absorbed by his job fighting the system" role, just one of quite a few surprisingly great performances for this genre.
From yacht parties in the bay to street justice in the favellas, this is a heart-pounding tour of Rio that shouldn't be missed.
This review of Elite Squad: The Enemy Within (2010) was written by David H on 18 Mar 2014.
Elite Squad: The Enemy Within has generally received very positive reviews.
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