Illuminated by the warm Brazilian sun, "City of God" should be an easy film to watch. But thanks to the soundtrack of gun shots, it's one of the most difficult of the year.
Directed by Fernando Meirelles and written by Braulio Mantovani, based on a novel by Paulo Lins, "City of God" follows the lives of a group of kids growing up in Rio's City of God, an unimaginably destitute and hopeless shanty town subject not only to poverty but to random and brutal police raids.
It doesn't take many years for a person in the City of God to become desensitized to violence. So, it should come as no surprise that kids here begin toting handguns -- and using them mercilessly -- at an early age.
In this true story, two brothers take different paths. One becomes embroiled in a world of hold-ups, guns, murder and violence and the other does his best to stay on the outside and pursue his dream as a photographer.
This is not an easy feat as he must remain untouched by the ever-changing alliances and loyalties. Because in the City of God you only have to be with the wrong person to end up on the wrong end of a pistol. The question is, can he pull it off?
The acting performances by the entire cast are honest and well-done, although the sheer quanitity of characters occassionally gets a little befuddling until you've worked it all out.
Beautifully shot, "City of God" should be eye candy, but there's too many moments when you have to avert your eyes: little children shooting other little children, senseless violence and bloodthirstiness. This contrast certainly illuminates the dichotomy of a country that is stunningly beautiful and painfully poor
The film benefits from the director's almost news reporter-like eye for details and telling it like it is. Preachiness would only make it mushy and lame. The unflinching "City of God" is a finely-crafted, quality film, but it's hard to leave the theater with any feeling of hope for the future.
"City of God" opens at Landmark's Oriental Theatre, Fri., March 14.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
