#69 City of God

Now here's a movie I can recommend. This lively Brazilian film directed by Kátia Lund and Fernando Meirelles tells the story of Rocket, a young photographer who lives in the violent Rio de Janeiro favela Cidade de Deus. Rocket's life is a difficult one, where life is cheap and pleasure simple. The tone of the story hops between tragedy of comedy with an astounding ease. The narrative too bounces around from one tale to the next, barely settling on one character before another is introduced. The film in it's unflinching portrayal of life in the ghetto has stirred controversy in Brazil, where many hail it as a long overdue criticism of the enormous economic rift between the rich and the country's olvidados, the forgotten poor.