City of Men (Cicade dos Homans)
Issue #35
Directed by Paulo Morelli
By Beth Capper
Published: March 1st, 2008 | 2:59pm
Fernando Meirelles’ City of God and its Scorcese-esque depiction of a young photographer growing up in the lawless favelas of Rio de Janeiro was one of the most talked about films of 2002. Meirelles’ success with the film (including four Oscar nominations) led him to elaborate on the idea, and pen City of Men, an entire TV series centered on Rio's street kids and a ripe bit of social commentary for Brazilian TV audiences happy to ignore the hundreds of slums lining their capital.
City of Men seemed like a logical progression from City of God — the more open-ended nature of television allowing for deeper characterizations and the more varied, less violent (and perhaps more realistic) aspects of everyday life in the favelas. However, City of Men's adaptation into a movie by one of its directors, Paulo Morelli, doesn't seem so logical.
City of Men is a coming-of-age film about two 18-year-old boys, Laranjinha (Darlan Cunha) and Acerola (Douglas Silva), who have formed a tight and endearing affinity for each other amid the chaotic violence that underscores their lives. As a pair, they bring to mind Alfonso Cuarón's affectionate teens in Y Tu Mama Tambien, and their naturalism as friends is the best thing about City of Men. It is their experiences and their search for Laranjinha's father, that take center stage here as opposed to the sometimes senseless bloodbath of gang warfare in City of God.
Although City of Men is not really a sequel to City of God, it is difficult not to compare the two. The cinematography in City of Men often feels like a cheaper take on the striking photograph-like images that made City of God stand out. The colors in Men are too bright, too harsh, the framing is clumsy where God was picture-perfect. The film also lacks structure, and often it feels more like the pilot episode for a TV series — albeit a very good TV series — than a work of filmmaking. For fans of the actual TV series, this will probably round out a landmark work of television. Those expecting another City of God will be sorely disappointed.
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