City of God

This film is ranked #15 on Imdb's All-Time list and, while I don't think it's quite that good, I have to concede that this is an amazing film - and probably the best gangster movie I've seen (the best since Scarface, anyway). Most impressive about the movie is that most of the actors, being teens and kids, weren't professionals, but amateurs from the favelas of Rio where the movie is based. But the performances are excellent and Fernando Meirelles (quickly becoming one of my favourite directors after this and The Constant Gardener) does a fantastic job behind the camera, capturing the brutality of life in the favelas and showing both the good and bad sides of the slum's hoods. Highly recommended. My grade: A-

Synopsis: Two boys growing up in a violent neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro take different paths: one becomes a photographer, the other a drug dealer. (via Imdb)

Avg. Critic's Score: 8.3 (via Rotten Tomatoes)
Avg. Viewer's Score: 8.8 (via Imdb)

Directors: Fernando Meirelles (The Constant Gardener) and Katia Lund
Writer: Braulio Mantovani based on the book by Paulo Lins
Stars: Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino, Phellipe Haagensen, Douglas Silva, Jonathan Haagensen, Seu Jorge (The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou), Matheus Nachtergaele (Central Station), Alice Braga, Roberta Rodrigues, Luis Otavio, Darlan Cunha, Renato de Souza, Rubens Sabino, Daniel Zettel

Useless Trivia: When Knockout Ned kills someone for the first time, some people who live in the City of God approach him and congratulate him for the killing. The first woman to talk to him was played by the mother of the real Knockout Ned.