A Malta do Bairro

Basically, a less formally refined City of God, set in the other America a decade earlier and with considerably fewer camera shots and other such flourishes. But it has an A-list ensemble cast and a cruelly urgent atmosphere of torn up LA in the early 1990s, where shooting and looting were rampant and it didn't matter if it was black vs white or black vs black. The tale about a bunch of boys who aren't actually that bad and who have their own dreams and goals deep down is more of a "decorative" element that subtly moves the plot forward, but doesn't really interfere with the unique period atmosphere that rolls all around. A film that made Laurence Fishburne's charisma shine through. (27/07/2017)

This is a beautiful example of what life in a ghetto is really like. Racism is discussed, but the hatred isn't just white-black; it's also black-on-black. Just like it is among whites. Simply put, it's not about the color of one's skin; people will continue killing each other, no matter how trivial the reasons, whether for money or revenge. There's only hope that some people will be able to escape. (21/02/2016)