A depressing film that celebrates brute strength as the only means to stem the tide of violence and crime in Rio de Janeiro.
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09/20/08
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Elite Squad (2008)
53
%
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Reviews Counted:34
Fresh:18
Rotten:16
Average Rating:5.1/10
Consensus: Brutal, action heavy, Brazilian cop film with a pointless voiceover. Lacks flair, overdoes the violence and is never quite sure where its morals lie.
Theatrical Release:2008
Synopsis: One of the most notorious releases in the history of Brazilian cinema, Jose Padilha's ELITE SQUAD exposes the rampant corruption plaguing Rio de Janeiro from a policeman's point of view. The only... [More]
Starring: Wagner Moura, André Ramiro, Caio Junqueira, Milhem Cortaz
Director: José Padilha
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Reviews for Elite Squad
A poor man's City of God that suggests the only answer to the problems of Brazil's slums are blazing guns wielded by a neo-fascist police force.
09/19/08
An instruction manual of sorts that doesn't illuminate police corruption and violence so much as it revels in it.
04/21/08
With no star names and a tough subject, it will be hard sell despite being a runaway hit on its home turf.
09/19/08
For nearly two hours, Padilha bombards viewers with senseless, sickening violence for its own sake.
09/19/08
Nothing is clear-cut in this intense brew of brutality, stupidity and genuine tragedy. We’re left lamenting that it will go on, unless Brazil engages its brain before its fist.
08/08/08
As for the plot, flashy editing and an over-reliance on jittery handheld cameras mean you’ll struggle to tell what’s going on – if you haven’t already given up by then.
08/08/08
Subtle shades of friendship are lost in a melee of violence, which quickly crescendos and then maintains a one-note intensity for the duration of the film, punctuated only by an ill-advised narratorial voice that serves to keep the viewer at arm's length.
06/13/08
Padilha gets as close to the daily violence as City of God, though this feels more like a documentary than an epic.
08/08/08
The film's message is that all of society is corrupt, so it doesn't matter who gets killed. It's a propaganda movie that shows no empathy for its characters or for its audience.
09/03/08
An action-drama that's fascinating for its insights into Rio's social structures. But while it's compellingly intense, it's also morally muddled.
08/08/08
It bears a resemblance to viscerally exciting seventies urban thrillers like The French Connection, in which only the fascists could do what needed to be done.
09/15/08
Top CriticElite Squad can’t decide whether it wants to pull the lid back on what urban decay has wrought or simply open up a can of whup ass.
09/17/08
It is impressively made, but leaves a nasty taste in the mouth.
08/08/08
A film that simply doesn’t have enough cinematic flair to make it a better than average cops and robbers thriller.
08/08/08
Trying to address important and serious social issues in this violent world rather than just creating something sensationalistic or exploitative gives Elite Squad an edge over normal police thrillers.
09/18/08
Elite Squad succeeds at putting the worst of the violent spectacles on screen, primarily through a series of nicely staged shootouts and torture sequences.
09/17/08
[José Padilha] recariously pitches the squad's brute force as less a necessary evil than the outgrowth of an existing evil -- a no-win situation that mocks liberal ideals and warps conservative pragmatism into domestic terrorism.
09/17/08
Top CriticYou'll swear you smell gunpowder during the earthshaking gunfights of "Elite Squad." Forget John Woo's Hong Kong, or Sergio Leone's West. With bullet-slinging gusto, director Jose Padilha ("Bus 174") proudly pronounces Rio de Janeiro the bloodiest onscree
06/22/08
Nascimento’s penchant for Rambo theatrics is unfortunate, because elsewhere Elite Squad has interesting things to say.
08/08/08
Latest News for Elite Squad
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Universal's deal with the Ludlum estate has started to bear fruit in the form of a film adaptation of "The Sigma Protocol," which Jose Padilha is in talks to direct. More...
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July 01, 2008:
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We share twenty of the best films screened at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, currently running in the Scottish city. More...
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