City of God, released in 2003, gave us an insider's look at life in a Rio favela. Although it lacks the same characters, the movie has been brought back in City of Men.
City of God (Ciudad de Dios, 2003), directed by Katia Lund and Fernando Meirelles’s, brought viewers into Rio de Janeiro, Brazil’s chaotic, tragic slums. It was a world of drugs, crime, murder, betrayal, and hope. The film drew accolades from around the world and the movie was held as Brazil’s Pulp Fiction, among other things.
Now Paulo Morelli has released what can be considered a spiritual sequel, City of Men (Ciudad de Hombres, 2008), based on a successful Brazilian TV miniseries of the same name. The main characters, Luis Claudío (Ace) and Wallace, grew up together in a Rio favela, or shanty town. Ace, who is already a father, turns 18 and sets off to find his own father that he never knew.
The early reviews say that the film doesn’t live up to its predecessor, but still has the same beautiful shots of Rio and Brazil. Worth a look if you are interested in slum life in Rio.
