2003 had its fair share of good movies. 2003 also had its fair share of crappy movies.
Last night, I was reminded of one of the great ones of 2003 that was neglected in the Best Picture category of the Oscars but it was recognized in a few other categories like Best Director.
That movie was City of God. Based on true stories, City of God is a movie set and made in Brazil about the rise to prominence of a local newspaper photographer. The movie is not so much about the photographer but more about the slums that he grew up in and the drug lords that ruled the town.
Movies at Yahoo describes the film as such. "Set on the mean streets of a Rio de Janeiro slum (in the "Cidade de Deus" housing project), this film follows two boys who grow up down differing paths (stretched across over 15 years, from the late 1960s to the early 1980s). One, Buscape (Rodrigues), becomes a photographer, the other becomes a drug dealer. The film follows their paths through a series of short stories, as we learn about the violent, often short lives of those wrapped up in the dangerous world of drugs and crime on Brazil's cruelest area."
City of God is in Portuguese and is a beautifully staged movie that follows the violent lives of these two kids... one that leads to success and the other that leads to failure. It is simply the best movie of 2003 aside from the special effects driven Lord of the Rings -- Return of the King.
The movie seamlessly tells its story in a series of vignettes and doesn't slow down for a minute.
The movie is violent and harsh, but needs to be recognized for its brilliance.
The language difference and unfortunate label of art house flick will keep many of you away, but it shouldn't. It is a gritty and powerful film that will make you view life and other cultures differently.
Please check it out. I ask nicely. Benny's Farewell Party is what makes this movie.
2 comments:
But did you feel the acting was the same high caliber as Showgirls? kneel
Different kind of acting.
Perhaps... better.
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