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06/24/06
Favela Rising (2006)
63
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:19
Fresh:12
Rotten:7
Average Rating:6.7/10
Theatrical Release:Jun 2, 2006 Limited
Synopsis: Jeff Zimbalist and Matt Mochary's documentary is a major achievement in nonfiction filmmaking, a vibrant, important work that is as inspiring as it is tragic. The narrative centers on Anderson Sá,... [More]
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Reviews for Favela Rising
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10/01/06
An inspirational portrait of an unwanted kid who brought culture to a world that had known only violence.
07/13/06
Success depicted here is sweet and inspirational. But moviegoers may long for a dramatized, less narrated picture of the process involved.
06/05/06
A daring and emotional documentary.
05/31/06
Elevated by fantastic performance footage of Sa and his young protégés singing, dancing and rhythmically banging on cans, plastic bottles or anything else that can be fashioned into a drum -- and a cultural revolution.
08/03/06
As a piece of documentary filmmaking, it's more a matter of excellent intentions than effective technique--a potentially powerful short doc stretched into a theatre length yawner.
07/26/06
A remarkable story of transformation and challenge on several levels, some completely unexpected.
08/03/06
Top CriticWatching it all replayed is simply a life-changing experience.
07/06/06
Matt Mochary and Jeff Zimbalist's documentary traces the history of Grupo Afro-Reggae, a community-based action group that arose in Vigario Geral, one of the notorious favelas (slums) that ring Rio de Janeiro.
06/02/06
All in all, the movement turned out to be a godsend for Rio natives, but the film is merely a pep rally.
05/31/06
Top CriticAn uplifting story that's well worth telling, but the directors rather lose sight of the wider sociological ramifications to iconise a figurehead whose courage is couched in almost miraculous terms.
05/27/06
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05/27/06
There's a raw, edgy power to this documentary, which takes a distinctly positive approach to a difficult situation.
06/06/06
You couldn't find a setting that's more hopeless than the crime-ridden slums of Rio de Janeiro, and yet Jeff Zimbalist and Michael Mochary tell a story that's unabashedly uplifting as well as emotionally raw.
07/06/06
Using a visual style of oversaturated colors that seem to leap off the screen, Mochary and Zimbalist offer an unforgettable portrait of the favelas, where young men openly polish their machine guns and a bullet-riddled body may lie around any corner.
07/07/06
A movie that is compelling and moving. It's also an artfully filmed and edited study of a real 'rhythm nation.'
07/07/06
Like City of God and Bus 174 before it, Favela Rising is about as raw as it comes. This is not an apologetic film, but rather one that looks for the bright side in a bleak situation.
03/22/07
[The directors] junk up the telling of Sa's story with overworked editing, unnecessary graphic clutter and a confounding habit of using dubbed-over music on the live concert footage.
08/08/06
... an uneven, spasmodic film.
08/13/06
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