City of Men

Rating R Formats DVD Genre foreign Starring Douglas Silva, Darlan Cunha, Jonathan Haagensen Directed by Paulo Morelli Publisher Miramax

City of Men is a rarity of a movie, not being a sequel but a different storyline set around the similar aspects as the masterpiece City of God.  This approach allows room for new faces and situations, ones which prove to be interesting and unique.  While not quite being on the same playing field as City of God, City of Men is at least a worthwhile film.  Realistic photography, impressive acting, and a smart storyline highlight this film.  The only problem is that at times it feels a little too similar to City of God. 

Acerola (Silva) and Laranjinha (Cunha) portray two best friends growing up in the streets of Rio de Janiero as they turn 18.  One has to deal with being a single father at a young age, while the other is just discovering the father he never knew.  While they attempt to sort out their lives, they have family and friends as members on the opposite sides of a gang war.  This big dilemma works as a great scenario to pull Acerola and Laranjinha into unforeseen dangers, such as being targeted for a hit because of being mistaken as a gangbanger.  As if that isn’t strong enough of a story, there’s a twist revealed about their past that is jaw-dropping.  Writer/director Paulo Morelli and screenwriter Elena Soarez know how to throw the right combination of obstacles to create a very dramatic struggle. 

The acting is top-notch and realistic.  I have no trouble believing that these are people who grew up without any opportunities.  Their struggles and repressed anger fly out at the right moments.    Silva and Cunha have several quiet moments that accurately reflect how the soul is bared when it seems there’s no light at the end of tunnel.  These breakdowns create humanity for the characters, something which the Hollywood system seems to be leaving out these days.  Of the characters, Jonathan Haagensen stands out in his superb portayal of the gang lord known as “Midnight.”  When he shifts from content to enraged in a split second, it’s enough to cast fear into the heart of anybody.  He brings the element of surprise, and his merciless motives could kill anybody who stands in his way.   

Adding onto the weight of this gang saga is the blazing cinematography, drenched in grainy hues of brown and gold.  The entire movie, two things are very obvious:  It’s hot as hell and the neighborhood is stricken with poverty.  These are shots that are beautiful yet ugly at the same time.  In other words, the same style of photography as seen in City of God.  It works, but I would’ve liked to have seen a little bit of variety so this movie could breathe more life of it’s own. 

While this movie works in most areas, there are a few things I just don’t buy.  It seems all too coincidental that a father would discover his son after 18 years ON his birthday because he sought him out on a whim after all those years.  I also had a difficult time dealing with the fact that some people were able to dodge machine gun crossfire without a scratch.  That kind of unrealistic violence is better suited for the likes of James Bond and Indiana Jones.  For a tale that is supposed to be grounded in reality, City of Men can sometimes seem a little farfetched in order to be cinematic.