City Of God ( Cidade de Deus ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2.4 Import

City Of God ( Cidade de Deus ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2.4 Import Review

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City Of God ( Cidade de Deus ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2.4 Import Feature

Australia released, PAL/Region 2.4 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada: LANGUAGES: Portuguese ( Dolby Digital 5.1 ), English ( Subtitles ), ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN (1.85:1), SPECIAL FEATURES: Documentary, Interactive Menu, Scene Access, SYNOPSIS: Fernando Meirelles' City of God is a sweeping tale of how crime affects the poor population of Rio de Janeiro. Though the narrative skips around in time, the main focus is on Cabeleira who formed a gang called the Tender Trio. He and his best friend, Bene (Phelipe Haagensen), become crime lords over the course of a decade. When Bene is killed before he can retire, Little Ze attempts to take out his arch enemy, Sando Cenoura (Matheus Nachtergaele). But Sando and a young gangster named Manu form an alliance and begin a gang war with Little Ze. Amateur photographer Buscape (Alexandre Rodrigues) takes pictures of the brutal crime war, making their story famous. City of God was screened at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival.
SCREENED/AWARDED AT: BAFTA Awards, British Independent Film Awards, Camerimage Awards, Cannes Film Festival, Cartagena Film Festival, European Film Awards, Golden Globes, Oscar Academy Awards, Toronto International Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival,

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City of Lost Souls

City of Lost Souls Review

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City of Lost Souls Feature

A stylized and violent thriller, prolific director Takashi Miike's "City of Lost Souls" (2000) is set in the ganglands of Tokyo and pays homage to Sergio Leone, Quentin Tarantino, and, in a weird, animated cockfighting sequence, "The Matrix". Mario (Teah) is the Japanese-Brazilian gunslinger fresh out of jail who, in a hilariously audacious action sequence, hijacks a helicopter to save his Chinese girlfriend Kei (Michelle Reis) from deportation. He must then secure 18 million yen to secure fake passports for both of them to make a new life for themselves in Australia. In a misconceived operation, Mario arrives at the lair of the intriguing Ko, Kei's ex-boyfriend--a self-assured, effeminate young exchange student--who is somehow head of a vicious gang of Triads. He's at the point of buying a consignment of cocaine from decadent, cold-blooded Yakuza gangster Fushimi when Mario's arrival triggers a shootout, with Mario escaping with the wrong suitcase. Now, in time-honored "True Romance" fashion, Mario and Kei are on the run from the mob.\n Although visually tricky with some strong set pieces, "The City of Lost Souls" is rather hazy when it comes to story and characterization. We get little sense of the runaway couple as people. A young blind girl is introduced into the tale and there are romantic moments between Mario and Kei, but these feel like sugary palliatives to the bloodshed rather than touching moments. Better perhaps to check out Miike's "Audition", a brilliantly gruesome satire on male Japanese attitudes toward womanhood. This is a flashier, faster, but less artistically satisfying affair. "--David Stubbs"

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City of Men ( Cidade dos Homens ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.0 Import

City of Men ( Cidade dos Homens ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.0 Import Review

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City of Men ( Cidade dos Homens ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.0 Import Feature

United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 0 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada: LANGUAGES: Portuguese ( Dolby Digital 2.0 ), English ( Subtitles ), SPECIAL FEATURES: Interactive Menu, SYNOPSIS: City Of Men (Cidade dos Homens) is a nine-part mini series, based on Fernando Meirelles' modern classic, City Of God (Cidade de Deus), which follows inhabitants of the Rio de Janeiro favelas through their lives.Like its parent film, City Of Men is an exciting mixture of gritty social realism and high-octane action. However, the filmmakers use the mini series format to delve deeper into the characters, and the reality of their situation. This approach was much more realistic than the approach taken by the film, as we see our two main characters, Acerola and Laranjinha, balance dodging bullets with job hunting and, in one memorable episode, trips to the beach. This is also useful from a dramatic standpoint because, like with all good TV shows, we are able to build relationships with these characters, and by the end, they become like old friends. We are with them every step of the way, as they discover girls, get in trouble with the law, experience racism and prejudice... through the good times and the bad, we see Laranjinha and Acerola grow. The acting of the young amateur cast was highly praised in City Of God, and several of the actors reappear in City Of Men, albeit as different characters. Darlan Cunha (Laranjinha) and Douglas Silva (Acerola) feature in most scenes, so it is a relief that they are so natural in front of the camera.The series doesn't have a particular narrative to speak of. Instead, each episode can be viewed as a snapshot of a different aspect of life in the favela (or, as it is called by the locals, 'The Hill'). As a result, the final episode is something of an anti-climax, as life c

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Lower City

Lower City Review

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Lower City Feature

Plot Outline: From the filmmakers who brought you CITY OF GOD and THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES, comes this sexy Brazilian drama chronicling a love triangle between two best friends, Deco and Naldinho (CARANDIRU’s Lázaro Ramos and Wagner Moura), and a sultry, beautiful young girl, Karinna (Alice Braga, CITY OF GOD). Burdened with unbridled passion, the threesome navigates the "lower city" of tropical Salvador Bahia, stumbling through a treacherous landscape of sex and jealousy. Suffocated and unable to go on, the three must accept one another as lovers, adversaries and ultimately friends; learning to overlook the defiance of their actions and joining one another down an unthinkable path. A startlingly intimate debut from director Sérgio Machado, LOWER CITY bursts with a sensuality and energy emanating from the unflinching performances of the vibrant young cast.

Editorial Reviews:

Sara Brady, Premiere Two lifelong friends, Deco and Naldinho, fall for the same lady of ill repute (City of God's Alice Braga) when she hitches a ride on their cargo boat in this steamy drama from Sergio Machado (the 2001 doc At the Edge of the Earth).

The Bottom Line: An even sexier take on Y Tu Mama Tambien, this time in Portuguese.

A.O Scott, NY Times . . the woman in question is Karinna, a dancer and prostitute played by Alice Braga (''City of God''), one of the most forthrightly and powerfully sexual screen actresses in the world. Ms. Braga, niece of the Brazilian actress Sonia Braga, brushes aside any hint of glamour and gives a tough, candid performance.

The look of ''Lower City'' is impressively naturalistic. Toca Seabra's cinematography makes the sweat and grit of Salvador almost palpable, and the music, by Carlinhos Brown and Beto Villares, provides a sweet, lusty throb.

DVD Features: · Making of featurette · Deleted scenes · US theatrical trailer · Palm Previews · Weblinks

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