to cinema, with love

Plot:Taking place over the course of over two decades, City of God tells the story of Cidade de Deus (Portuguese for City of God), a lower class quarter west of Rio de Janeiro. The film is told from the viewpoint of a boy named Rocket (Busca pé in Portuguese) who grows up there as a fishmonger's son, and demonstrates the desperation and violence inherent in the slums. Based on a real story, the movie depicts drug abuse, violent crime, and a boy's struggle to free himself from the slums' grasp.

My Take: From the word go, this movie is captivating. What is so different about this movie from the movies of its genre is, its treatment. Just after the movie, i was wondering how such a script could be written(the movie spans over two decades, with a lot of characters being presented to us and in a shortwhile they get killed by someone. In short almost every character kills someother character and in a while gets killed by someone else). Later I found out that this movie was adapted by Bráulio Mantovani from the 1997 novel of the same name written by Paulo Lins, which are both based on a true story. Still the screenplay is handled exceptionally well. The cinematography by Cesar Charlone is excellent. The effect of the camera work on the screen is such that the entire film seems lively as if you are witnessing the actual scenes. This movie is an example on the contribution of cinematography in making of a classic. Another section which is amazing is its editing by Daniel Rezende. The editing in this movie is phenomenal. This part keeps you glued to the movie till the end. The background music is exceptionally good and very apt to the scenes in the movie. Hats off to the director Fernando Merielles and co-director Katia Lund for making a well crafted movie .

The film's real ace is the kids(most of the actors in the movie are kids).All the kids in the movie give us a pleasant surprise.Though most of them had been cast through open auditions and were, in fact, residents of favelas such as Vidigal and the Cidade de Deus itself, they undoubtedly give the authencity such kind of movies demand. The scene in which two young kids must decide whether they want to be shot in the hand or the foot contains some of the most powerful acting in the film. The film contains multiple stories and its told in a unique way. The way in which the stories unfold make you feel more than a spectator; you feel part of their world. I feel so happy to have watched this movie. But i have a regret that i couldn't watch this movie in a theater. Undoubtedly this is a true masterpiece and you dont get to watch movies of this sort often. In fact movies of this quality are rarely made, may be once in your lifetime. It's irresistible. It's sheer crime to miss this movie. Do watch it when you can.