Trash

When I saw the trailer of this movie it did not appeal to me. The movie seemed like a common Hollywood action movie, but after seeing it I know that this movie has a lot to offer. The story begins when Raphael (at the age of 14) finds a wallet in the garbage and shows it to his two friends. Once the boys find out how much the wallet is wanted by the police they decide to unravel the mystery behind it, using clues from the wallet. What follows is a fascinating journey full of action, humor and drama through the slums of Rio de Janeiro. You see the raw side of the city, it feels like you are there. Also the music puts you in the right vibe. The solidarity, perseverance and the struggle to achieve justice, gives you a real connection with the three boys. Slowly all the pieces fit together while it builds up to a thrilling end. This movie seems to have a clear message to give. It makes you think about justice and well-being, but at the same time it is an easy watching feel good movie. This movie has it all!

Set in the rubbish tips of Rio, two friends – Raphael and Gardo- discover a wallet that has ended up in the trash. They know it is a windfall but then the cops turn up offering a large reward and Raphael thinks there is more to this than meets the eye. So they enlist the help of a diseased sewer kid called Rato and go off to discover its secrets.

There is a lot packed into this extremely well made film. Martin Sheen appears as a Priest who is helping the poor and Rooney Mara brings some glamour amidst the rubbish of the slum. There is violence here too and some scenes that should not be in a film that describes itself as a comedy. But that said this has a bit of everything. The young boys carry the story and are all excellent – the cinematography is rather special too especially making the flotsam and detritus floating on a polluted river seem almost beautiful. It is a bit overly sentimental but no where near as much as say 'Slumdog Millionaire', and it is totally forgivable once taken in context.

I did though really enjoy this film, it is in Portuguese with a fair amount of English and it runs to 114 minutes – all of which is put to great use. I also saw someone in the credits called 'Wellington Pingo' which is the best name ever - probably. This is for those who like a bit of grit, dirt, strong storyline and a rollicking ride – completely recommended.

I never thought that garbage can be so beautiful. Indeed, in this film it is. Stephen Daldry successful squeezes an incredible set design, visualization is absolutely fantastic. From the favelas of Brazil, to the beautiful landscapes, it all looks just stunning. The thing I like is also editing, the sequences are fast and dynamic and it is just right on. If we look at the movie more closely, we can see a close relationship between the boys, playfulness of the youth, hope in a brutal world. It is dominated by the playful dynamics among them, how they learn about the world through adolescence. Although the government is corrupt, and the police puts misery and poverty beneath the low, there is hope and the will to live. Mara and Sheen are acting as missionaries who help these children, living from the garbage, to a better future. Not bad acting, but the characters... Sheen as a priest, Mara as a assistant, it seems somewhat they are missing all the action. The best I can describe, sometimes I had the feeling watching them behind a bottle of glass. I must mention the script and story is short in depth and is weary predictable, not to mention the contradictory. But nonetheless it is a well made move, worth watching, and I give it a go.

Greetings from Lithuania.

"Trash" (2014) is definitely not an Oscar material, contrary to previous movies directed by a great director Stephen Daldry. This is adventure, thriller (with a bit comedy) set in Rio about a group of slum dog kids who one day searching a trash stumbles upon something that can change the path of a whole country. Soon they are on a run from those who want to get thing back while trying to solve a puzzle of what did they found.

"Trash" is a solid fun, not particularly great, but it will definitely do justice for one evening. The settings are fresh and kinda exciting, three young leads are good here, with some minor support from two Hollywood heavyweights.

Overall, this picture isn't anything really special, but it's a fine film. Music, settings, directing and acting are good, while at the running time almost 2 hours this movie drags a bit here and there, but overall experience is positive.

I'm Portuguese and i speak reasonably well English. So i was able to watch this movie with no subtitles. Thanks God! The subtitling was awful, translating Portuguese to English. How can i resume this movie? Tropa de Elite meets Da Vinci Code? Weird no? No, nothing like that. This is an amazing picture of poverty, hope, friendship and trying to do the right thing, no matter what. It's hard to me to explain why i loved this movie. But i have no trouble to explain the main message: Brazil is a corrupt and dangerous country, not because of the common thieves, of the poor people, but because of the corrupt police and the rich and powerful people. A poor thief could steal a couple of bucks, a rich one could steal millions.