Friday, February 29, 2008
"City of Men" (Cidade Dos Homens) **
"City of Men" continues in the land where "City of God" (2002) left off, returning to the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. This one is called Dead End Hill. While God focused on a photographer with a camera, Men focuses on two teens with guns.
The new movie was not created as a sequel to the 2002, or does it have the depth. It has an overlapping production crew, but it's based on a TV series. "City of God" was nominated in four Oscar categories. It exposed the political system's corruption in Brazil. The new movie shines with the cinematography and music.
The storyline is flat compared to the predecessor. The movie still shows the culture of violence based on drugs. The main characters are two older male teens. One has a child after his first time having sex, and a wife who leaves the family for a better job. His father was shot in the back. The other teen doesn't know who his father is, until he does some investigation. He finds his father was recently released from prison, following murder charges. You can see where this is going.
Some called "City of God" one of the best films in history. I agree with that assessment. "City of Men" is in a tough spot, being compared with the previous movie.
SUBTITLED
RENEGADE EYE
18 comments:
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Have you watched the TV series? Netflix has it. It was pretty good, but not as good as I thought it could be. It did an excellent job explore racism, corruption, and life in Rio's favelas.
ReplyDeleteThis movie has a connection to the TV series, and overlapping production crew with "City of God."
ReplyDelete"City of Men" was directed by the partner of the director of "City of God."
"City of God" was voted in the top 20 at IMDB.
I would love to see the TV show.
i love city of God, but the idea of sequelizing the show or tv spin-offs.
ReplyDeleteyikes...i just want everyone to see this wonderful film.
Intentaré ver la primera pues cuando tuve la oportunidad,no me atreví.
ReplyDeleteTHe tv series City of Men is pretty good (not of the same calibre of City of God) but well worth hunting out if you can find it Ren.
ReplyDeleteSome called "City of God" one of the best films in history. I agree with that assessment.
ReplyDeleteMe too. It was definitely the best Brazilian movie of all times. It avoided all the "class struggle" clichés, showing instead how drug criminalization can destroy a society.
Sonia: "City of God" didn't avoid anything. It wasn't consciously socialist, yet it still was a call to action.
ReplyDeleteRC: Thank you for visiting.
Camino: You would love "City of God."
Jams: there are worse movies than "City of Men." I compared it to the first movie. I'm certain the TV show is better than most TV fare.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIt looks as if a war is going to start in Colombia/Ecuador/Venezeula. Not a very bright idea to send troops across a border.
ReplyDeleteGraeme: I'll send you an email to respond.
ReplyDeleteI enter again your blog to make a brotherly greeting and the strong one embraced and a feeling friendship
ReplyDeleteKisses from Reus Catalunya Spain
Graeme,
ReplyDeleteIt looks as if a war is going to start in Colombia/Ecuador/Venezeula. Not a very bright idea to send troops across a border.
Chavez is clearly looking for an excuse to provoke a war with Columbia. A yet another parallel between him and Hitler...
Chavez couldn't use border excursions by Turkey into Iraq as an excuse, why should he use a border excursion by Columbia into Ecuador as an excuse ?
His country is called Venezuela, not Iraq or Ecuador.
Ren,
It wasn't consciously socialist
And that's why it was so great.
Great R.E.! Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteBaz: Welcome back.
ReplyDeleteTé la mà Maria - Reus: hmmmm
Sonia: Colombia was condemned by Ecuador, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru and counting. The Hitler analogy is silly and reckless.
It's not important that "City of God" wasn't consciously socialist. It used the language of cinema being visual, to make its point.
thanks for putting up some info on it. i wasn't aware that it was based on a tv series.
ReplyDeleteRen,
ReplyDeleteThe Hitler analogy is perfectly justified. Chavez is insane.
Uribe's government is responsible for atleast 75% of the human rights violations in Colombia.
ReplyDeleteStill it's reckless to make Hitler analogies.
Chavez has bettered many people's lives in Venezuela.
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ReplyDeleteCommunism in all the countries,
not in one .
Your neighbours must be red if you want a real socialistic and communistic society into your country.
Go Chavez.go...