Cidade dos Homens (City of Men) (2007)
Average Rating: 6.7/10
Reviews Counted: 80
Fresh: 61 | Rotten: 19
Brutal and unflinching, City of Men is both a harrowing look at Brazil's favela life, and a touching tale of youths rushed into adulthood.
Average Rating: 7.2/10
Critic Reviews: 27
Fresh: 24 | Rotten: 3
Brutal and unflinching, City of Men is both a harrowing look at Brazil's favela life, and a touching tale of youths rushed into adulthood.
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Average Rating: 3.8/5
User Ratings: 6,808
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Movie Info
Two lifelong friends raised amidst the turmoil of Rio de Janeiro's notorious Pool Hall Hill attempt to navigate the treacherous maze of adulthood after celebrating their 18th birthdays and becoming caught up in the city's endless cycle of violence in director Paulo Morelli's companion piece to the Golden Globe-winning drama City of God. Laranjinha (Darlan Cunha) and Acerola (Douglas Silva) may not be bound by blood, but these childhood friends are closer to one another than most brothers. While
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Cast
-
Douglas Silva
Ace -
Darlan Cunha
Wallace -
Jonathan Haagensen
Madrugadão (aka Midnigh... -
Rodrigo dos Santos
Heraldo -
Camila Monteiro
Cris -
Naima Silva
Camila -
Eduardo BR Piranha
Fasto -
Luciano Vidigal
Fiel -
Pedro Henrique
Caju -
-
Vinicius Oliveira
Clayton
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All Critics (84) | Top Critics (28) | Fresh (63) | Rotten (20) | DVD (10)
It plays like a Western, and the violence, while plentiful and visceral, rarely has the kind of raw impact you want in a movie such as this. Morelli keeps most of the blood off-camera.
Top Critic[It has] a real ring of authenticity in every scene.
Where City of God was ferocious, grandiose, and glamorous, this movie is modest and intimate, acoustic where the other was desperate to electrify.
The story might have been lifted from an old Warner Brothers melodrama, though it's smartly paced, sincerely delivered, and consistently absorbing.
Along comes a sequel of sorts, City of Men, but the difference is clear right from the first frame: Meirelles is gone and so is the intensity. What's left is a mix of credible sociology and tired melodrama, along with a palpable sense of déjà vu.
Though the histrionics of City of Men are a bit obvious, and it lacks the bravado of City of God, it's ultimately a more rewarding film.
Powerful melodrama mixes violence, messages.
Despite its sincerity -- and the beautiful visuals -- the often-disjointed story takes too long to gain traction.
A must for fans of the TV series, as it continues the unique formula of mixing fun, fantasy, fear, and frankness, for 2 young men barely surviving to adulthood together.
It's all perfectly serviceable -- but it wants for freshness and vitality.
Both Silva and Cunha (who reprise their roles from the television show) do make compelling leads and their performances add needed weight and shadings to their underwritten characters.
Where City of God provided a heartbreaking insight into Rio's flavelas and gang warfare . . . this film ends up more like a standard buddy movie set against a gangland battle scene
It's decent enough but I just wish that it tried for something a little more fresh.
The likable performances, hot, sweaty atmosphere and decently mounted action scenes make this entertaining fare.
An engaging and frequently tense drama with terrific performances from its two young leads.
City of Men doesn't pack the same punch as City of God, but the characters are so engaging that viewers are likely to forgive the slender and overly familiar plot.
Despite considerable dramatic interest, Morelli's loose, lengthy structure makes it a labor to hang in with.
Audience Reviews for Cidade dos Homens (City of Men)
Super Reviewer
The cast are all excellent along with the locations and sweaty, grimy, run down look of the whole film, its so realistic it puts you off wanting to go anywhere near Brazil for a holiday ;) Some of the scenery is truely amazing though.
Overall its quite boring until the final sequence but even that is average, and then its over all too quick. Not a bad film but not really engaging either.
Super Reviewer
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Latest News on Cidade dos Homens (City of Men)
February 28, 2008:
Exclusive Photos: City of God Sequel City of MenTwo young men struggle to stay afloat amid the drugs, violence, and poverty of Brazil's slums in the...
February 28, 2008:
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