In Case You Missed It: City of God 5/5 reviewed by Corey

I recently rented Ciudade de Deus (City of God) again and felt compelled to tell anyone who reads this that this is, for all of my practical purposes, a perfect film.

Once again: I cannot find a single legitimate flaw in this movie.

In the 1960's, Ciudade de Deus, a Brazilian slum in the Rio de Janeiro, is one of the most dangerous places on earth. The children learn at an early age how to run with a gang, and when the changing of the guard takes place, a brutal crimelord, Li'l Ze, takes power. Gang warfare rips families apart and incessant violence spills innocent blood. Things spin out of control as Li'l Ze begins to weed out the opposing gangs and raise up a new generation of murderers.

Rocket, a bright teen with an eye for photography, wants out.

City of God documents Rocket's journey from playing soccer while his brother robbed gas trucks to his timeless quest to get laid and on into adulthood. The history of the war receives a lot of screen time, told in a series of episodes.

The story is entertaining without sacrificing authenticity. The actors are so talented that you swear you're watching a documentary. It's emotionally draining without being depressing. It's physically exhausting while retaining your interest. It's a brutal and ugly place, which makes the jaw-dropping directing and cinematography even more ironic. It's numbing, but it's one of the few movies I always "feel." The dialogue is often hilarious and just as often heartbreaking. Some parts will make you cry, others will make you laugh, a few will just leave you with your mouth hanging open.

The production and direction is stylish (I'm talking Pulp Fiction stylish, the real deal), the ending is unforgettable, the villains are reprehensible. You will be engrossed. This is a perfect film on every single level and I'm sorry I forgot to do this much, much earlier.

My God, Ebert is right. It really is one of the best movies you will ever see.

SEE this if...

- You're a member of the CriticCrew or respect our opinions at all.
- You consider yourself an intelligent, contributing member of society.

- You love a good gangster flick.

DON'T see this if...

- You hate reading subtitles with a fiery, hellish, Hot Tamales-esque passion.

- You are under the age of 16.

- You... hate good movies? I can't really think of anything else...