So after letting the tribute to my homeboy Jay soak in for awhile, and after basking in the revelry of being done with college (?? still cant believe it, feels wierd). I think I'm back. I have one final on the 12th, so gonna take it easy the next week or so and just enjoy Austin and my friends one last time.
And, as promised, my thoughts on what so far is my favorite movie of 2003, City of God
In a nutshell, its Menace II Society + Goodfellas + samba dance video explosion of filmmaking that will leave you breathless. It is a dark, realist tale of poverty and violence that ultimately leaves just a glimmer of hope. Director Fernando Meirelles uses almost all the tricks in the book, swirling colors, startingly free camera movement, freeze-frames, flashbacks, split screens, etc. But surprisingly none of it is to show off. It is all designed to draw you in and keep you riveted until the next jarring reminder that the characters are CHILDREN. I think above all thats what City of God is about. Explicitly the story deals with murder, rape, robberies, drug deals, but after you leave the movie you realize that what you saw was a story about kids. Simple kids with dreams and ambitions who live and die under the overwhelming pressure of poverty. Some say the best movies leave you feeling a particular emotion. Running through almost every possible emotion, City of God goes beyond that. It will drain you.
Posted by sheelpi at May 4, 2003 08:23 PM