Manda Bala (Send a Bullet)

Poor and superficial film, using disturbing images, playing with the American believe that Violence and Corruption only happen in other countries. This is a bad copy of other Brazilian movies, this people could be making Art with more social engagement , sensibility and respect for other cultures.

The worst part of the movie is when Kids are showed acting/playing as kidnappers. The director admitted that He asked the Kids to do the theater, but presents it as if it was reality, making the public believe that this is how kids play in the streets of Brazil. This is unetical, not a documentary, shouldn't be a reference.

I believe that it's time for the young Americans to start looking into solving their own problems at home. And not only look for sensationalism , violence and misery but, beauty and successful experiences in other cultures, not only they problems, feeding prejudices and fear.

It's time to exchange ideas , using art as communication, a Global believe of trust and enlightenment. Not only fear of the different, of the foreigner, the neighbor...

WARNING: There are some really gross images in this film! You'll see close-ups of reconstructive surgery and it is NOT for kids or the faint of heart! Don't say you weren't warned.

Having seen several Brazilian movies like CITY OF GOD, CENTRAL STATION and THE MAN OF THE YEAR, I wasn't especially surprised when I watched SEND A BULLET--I knew that São Paulo was practically Hell on Earth due to out of control crime. Even if the crime isn't quite as bad as these films have portrayed it, it is very bad as kidnapping is practically a past-time! How a few reviewers can give this film a score of 1 and say it is full of lies is beyond me--the rise in violent crime and the birthrate are serious issues and Brazil, unfortunately, is becoming famous for this. This is a country with amazing possibilities but serious problems such as these are dooming its future. As a result, many companies are reticent to send employees there or set up shop--further increasing the gap between the haves and the have nots.

What I like about this film is that instead of reveling in violence (especially like THE MAN OF THE YEAR), the film tries to get to the heart of much of the problem. With politicians stealing and only receiving a slap on the wrist (at best) from programs designed to stimulate the economy and benefit the people, it's no wonder that the poor feel entitled to steal as well. After all, they just kidnap a few people--whereas the rich scum politician in this film rapes an entire nation! The lesson on immorality given by big-shot politicians naturally trickles down to the needy poor. Until corruption in high places is dealt with, I would agree with this documentary that personal crime would naturally follow as a sense of right and wrong must flow from the top down to the people.

By the way, don't assume I hate Brazil or am blaming them for having the only corrupt system on the planet. Here in the States, several of our large cities have similar problems. While none of the cities are as large as São Paulo and the crime rate isn't quite as bad, cities such as Washington, Newark and Detroit are highly reminiscent of São Paulo because government leaders (the mayors) are caught stealing and the cities only get more and more unlivable. These jerks claim to love the poor so much and are STILL re-elected or championed by these ill-educated people when they are caught!! Human nature is simply amazing.

Considering how worked up I got writing this review, it's obvious that this is a good film. Despite one review that said the documentary was poorly constructed, I think it was deftly made--taking all these disparate interviews and footage and weaving them into a very compelling argument. An exceptional film and one that thankfully tries to get to the root of some of the problems.

"Manda Bala" is everything you could want in a documentary, or in any film, for that matter! Directed in a style akin to the finer films of Errol Morris, "Manda Bala" is beautifully shot, brilliantly edited, and has a tremendous musical score. Shot in Brazil over several years, this documentary smartly examines the nature of corruption and class division in a truly engaging & entertaining way; the film is gripping from beginning to end, and has an immediacy that has world-wide relevance and resonance. The story is tightly woven, but the film still breathes in an almost perfect way, with just the right amount of tension & release. I am INCREDIBLY impressed by the amazing, dare I say artistic work that first-time director Jason Kohn has toiled to put together. Everyone-and-their-brothers-in-law-too should go see "Manda Bala", as soon as it's given wide-release, post-Sundance!

The film portrays an egocentric point of view. It adds to the typical assumption that American are ethnocentric and can only see the world from their own perspective. The director adopted an egocentric and ethnocentric position. He did not allow the narratives to flow within the main theme. He literally directed narratives to a conclusion he had pre-conceived. Superficial as it is, it does not encompass the complex socioeconomic system in which it takes place.

It is disturbing and without any sense to see interpreters competing with characters their speech. It is a shame to show an egocentric doctor, proud of himself and ignoring the painful and traumatic circumstances their patients were exposed. It is also questionable whether a "successful business man" who had been kidnapped, would agree to expose himself in a documentary such as it intended to be. This raises questions around the credibility of this documentary.

It is very pretentious to say that Manda Bala explains violence and political frauds in Brazil. It is clear that no one involved in this production knows about Latin America and much less international foreign policies and unnecessary to say, skipped sociology classes.

This film is a documentary only insofar as the characters are people playing themselves. Director Jason Kohn has no interest in exploring or understanding the issues the film purports to examine, rather pandering to the audience by prodding his subjects to tell their most shocking stories and judging them immediately after.

The corruption and violence are presented in a near total vacuum of context, adding to the cynical view towards the subjects involved. The absurdity of truth is pushed to its limit for the purpose of entertainment, effectively stripping away all meaning from the truly deplorable situation in Brazil. The reaction Mr. Kohn is after, and is quite talented at achieving, is a "Wow, that's f****d up!". Nothing more. There's something to be said of a documentarian whose sole purpose is to "Entertain people". There really isn't much more at play in this "documentary." It will be interesting to see what tabloid material Kohn tackles next.