City of Men

This Brazilian series is set in the city of Rio de Janeiro; in particular in a crowded favela known to its inhabitants as 'The Hill'. We mostly see this world through the eyes of teenage boys Acerola and Laranjinha. Each of the episodes sees them getting into various escapades... often with the ultimate intention of getting together with girls or schemes to earn some money.

When I started watching this I expected it to be rather downbeat but despite the fact that the Favela is shown as a dangerous place we see that despite their poverty our protagonists have a certain Joie de vivre... some episodes compare their lives to the 'playboys', children from wealthier parts of the city, and we see that there are many similarities. The way the series is shot on hand held cameras in the favela makes what we see seem very real... taking us into this world without feeling like the televisual equivalent of 'poverty tourism'. Each episode provides a good self-contained little story which features plenty of unforced humour. The cast are impressive; most obviously Douglas Silva and Darlan Cunha as Acerola and Laranjinha but also secondary cast members; they may not be as polished as one would get in a Hollywood production but they feel like real people. Overall I'd definitely recommend this to anybody looking for something a little different... my only disappointment was that the UK DVD only included the first two seasons.

These comments are based on watching the first two seasons in Portuguese with English subtitles.

Cidade dos Homens is Meirelles' return to the domestic television audience after the international success of Cidade de Deus, a film he admits he did not intend for exposure outside Brazil. Turning to the domestic arena with a slightly more altruistic/socio-political agenda, Meirelles is perhaps not as 'punchy' a director as he was in the original feature but is taking on a much more challenging topic. The series, rather than purely the mini-feature, is helping to break some ground in the nation's film and television industry and is certainly worth a look.

This is a powerful 19-part fictional series, based on real events and characters, that is ingeniously filmed on the streets, beaches and the notorious favelas of Rio de Janeiro.

'City of Men' recounts the many experiences (some very funny) of two teenagers from the slums trying to remain reasonably honest while poverty, racism, gang warfare and police brutality surround them. The close friendship of the two teenagers is brought to the screen with rare intensity by Darlan Cunha as Laranjinha, a disconnected but charismatic and streetwise figure, and the often bewildered, likable and always horny ('I don't want to die a virgin') Douglas Silva as Acerola. Both of these boys are not trained actors, and were 14 years old when the series started in 2002 (it ended in 2006). It's fascinating to watch them work.

The series is bathed in brilliant day-time colour and ominous night-time danger. People in this film live close to the edge. Murder is an everyday event.

The only problem I had with the series is the rapid-fire quick cuts and the shaky hand-held cameras. If this style doesn't bother you, sit tight and enjoy the ride. For me, the sizzle and the dazzle are often unnecessary and distracting. Too much focus (literally) on style, and the messages of the film are blurred somewhat because of it.

Cidade dos Homens uses the same ingredients that made Cidade de Deus such an amazing film: Fast and inteligent dialogs, which usually focus on the violence of RJ, beautiful art work, great soundtrack and talent kids. Now, in it's second season, the show continues to show us with humor and drama how much stuff is wrong in this powerful country. Its a shame that not many other countries will be able to see this.

First things first, this series is not a continuation of the story of the film City Of God, but covers similar themes. Many of the actors are in both (Douglas Silva, for example played Ze Pequeno in the film, and plays Acerola, one of the two protagonists in the series). No matter what anyone says, the series will always be compared to film.

But I feel that the series explores the favela culture in far more depth than the film. One particularly good episode is 'Uólace and João Victor', where Laranjinha's troubles living in the favela are compared to those of a middle class 'playboy' Joao Victor. The episode explores their problems with girls, crime, friends, parents, food, school, race etc. and ultimately concludes that their adolescent lives really aren't all that different, even though their surroundings are. There is a really nice scene at the end of the episode when one is walking the streets, and the other is looking out the window. They look at each other and both think "That boy looks so lonely".

Many of the episodes take place out of the favela, bringing a whole new aspect to the culture. How are black/favela kids perceived by the rest of society? What is school like for them? Is it even possible for them get a decent education? Are they all thieves and bandits, or just hungry and desperate? Say one wants to leave the favela drug business, is it possible for them to leave and get a 'normal' job? Although inevitably glamourised somewhat, the series is a great look into Rio life, shot beautifully with many interesting techniques used - montage, voice-over, animation, pans, subjective camera-work are all used to recreate the lifestyle. Another ace scene is in the final episode when one bandit is running from the police, dodging in and out of alleys in the favela. The camera switches to a natural, overhead view, and we see what the bandit sees, as he glances down possible routes to make his escape.

I think that the most interesting scene is when there is a particularly violent event, and the shot merges into real life interviews with the kids about their lives in the favela. As they brag about various violent scenes they have witnessed in real life, it becomes clear that the brutality in the series is not all that far fetched. Many of the young actors in the film and series were picked from the favela by the director and just told to act how they would naturally when presented with, say, a drug deal or a murder.

The series is into is fourth of fifth season in Brazil, so here's hoping for an international release soon...