Just saw this at the Angelika last night. One word: Wow! An impressive film that tells the gritty (and true) tale of making it alive out of the favela thug life. The parallels to poverty, crime and drugs in an advanced industrial society are many. Here realized with acute characterization of violence by disenfranchised children in Rio's slums. The transformation of "Lil Dice" to "Lil Ze" was powerfully scripted with a snappy directorial style not unlike Tarantino and Woo. Highly rated from my humble opi...Go see it!
Damn, I was raving about this movie... pyched up for it... now that I've seen it... I need to see it again... This is a must-see... amazing moviemaking/storytelling... and of course a brutally real look at slum life and druglords in Rio. Definitely my pick for Foreign Picture Oscar, ahead of Talk to Her.
I saw this flick today. It's a fantastic movie, and it's an absolute shame it didn't get an Oscar nod. I have yet to see all the foreign film nominees, but I can't imagine any being better than this movie. The acting is phenomal, and the direction is even better. It has a very gritty style reminiscent of some of the great American films of the 70s. For once, I agree with cossack. Go see it.
I don't think it was submitted to the academy for nomination. Same thing happened with that Palestinian film that caused a bit 'o stir in the media.
Nice flick. Not sure what they were trying to do with Knockout Ned, though. I've actually seen tract housing in the middle of nowhere turn into an urban jungle. It only takes a matter of years.
Welcome to the outlying aluminum-siding urban jungles that surround Metro Manila. Same environs, just different languages.
It was an absolutely amazing film in all aspects. Very much a "Los Olvidados" meets "Goodfellas" type thing going on there. Loved the scene where the young "Lil Dice" is going through the hotel shooting everyone in sight with a maniacal smile on his face. That sort of image stays with you for a while. I've mentioned this in the Music of Brazil thread as well, but the soundtrack is awesome as well, keeps the whole thing moving really well.