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Fernando Meirelles' CITY OF GOD, which Miramax will release in January '03 and which will play this weekend at the Toronto Film Festival, is easily the best movie I've seen this year. It's the freshest and most exciting, the most absorbing, the most ahead-of-the-curve…the fullest and most stimulating two hours I've had in front of a screen over the last eight months. Or maybe the last eight years.
It's not just the best foreign film since Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu's AMORES PERROS, but it's made from the same sinewy stuff that went into other straight-from-the-street classics like THE BICYCLE THIEF and MEAN STREETS. It's got the same feeling of raw inspiration and sureness of focus.
It's a wild-west gangster film with shootings aplenty, but not once does the violence feel fetishized or fashionable, because the story, based on Paolo Lins' exhaustively researched novel CIDADE DE DEUS, feels so specifically true and unfaked. Directed by Fernando Meirelles (and co-directed by Katia Lund),
CITY OF GOD is a sprawling history of the drug trade in this squalid favela as it evolved from the late '60s to early '80s, but told from the vantage points of roughly a dozen young desperado types.
It's also a descendant of the Warner Bros. gangster films of the 1930s. It's sometimes deeply upsetting (a scene involving gunplay and a couple of kids no older than eight or nine really got me) but never facile or cynical. It's an intimate, blood-soaked, frequently touching story about kids killing each other over money and turf, and about one kid (Buscape or "Rocket," played by Alexandre Rodrigues) who survives by chasing a dream of wanting to be a photographer and finally making it happen, paradoxically because of his connections to all the young pistol-packing dealers and hair-trigger assassins.
"Rocket" is the alter ego of Lins, a one-time Cidade de Deus inhabitant himself who spent eight years researching the novel. His CITY OF GOD story arc – i.e., “how I saved myself from a life of crime and violent death” – runs through the center of the film, but it certainly doesn't dominate it. GOD is a vibrant, richly detailed study of a self-enclosed criminal society, with an embarrassment of fascinating, sympathetic (not only despite but in some ways because of their violent tendencies) characters, each one finely and, for the most part, sympathetically drawn. By the time it ends you feel as if you've come to know and understand not just a cavalcade of characters, but a community.
The authenticity in CITY OF GOD is what gets you, finally. It's chockablock with shootings, but none of them play in a stylized vein. At the same time it's not a docudrama type thing. Meirelles, who comes from a TV commercial background, is an incredibly sophisticated shooter and editor. The opening scene, an instant classic about a bunch of street kids chasing down a chicken, makes it clear this is anything but some typically earnest, grainy, cinema-verite piece. Perverse as this may sound in describing a movie that's so full of death, but CITY OF GOD is a total turn-on from start to finish.
The final shot is of a pack of young pre-teen killers, cockily strolling down a street and deciding which of their rivals they'll need to murder, coasting on their newly-won power and feelings of triumph and magnificence. It's one of the saddest endings I've ever seen – sad, sickening, emotionally crushing – but nonetheless amazing and enthralling. This is one surging, powerpack, take-it-to-the-bank-and-cash-it art movie. It should win the Oscar for Best Foreign Film, hands down, and I haven't the faintest idea as I write this of what the competition might be. It's that good and that inevitable.
Toronto Notebook
The Toronto Film Festival essentially kicks off Friday morning, September 6th, and ends on Saturday, the 14th. That's nine days, during which time I'll probably be able to see three to four films daily…but more likely three per day, given my three-plus hours of writing in the morning plus the usual interviews and after-parties. That's an approximate total of 27 films, give or take.
There are at least, in my judgment, 45 films showing that are worth making an effort to get to. Even after subtracting the entries I've already seen (FRIDA, AUTO FOCUS, CITY OF GOD, THE QUIET AMERICAN, RABBIT-PROOF FENCE, HEAVEN, STANDING IN THE SHADOWS OF MOTOWN, ROGER DODGER), I'll still probably miss seeing seven or eight, minimum. I've been through this and know how it goes.
What to do? Prioritize. List the absolute must-sees in front of the definite interests, and these in front of the vague intrigues. Then you go from journalist to journalist during the festival and try and suss things out further. It's a brutal process, but if you start hearing about this or that film not going over all that well, you scratch it. Mathematics requires this anyway, and who would argue with shining an alleged so-so or stinker over a reputed favorite?
For those looking to similarly sort things out, here's my final pre-Toronto tally. Titles with an asterisk mean I've seen them and am recommending for that reason:
Absolutes: CITY OF GOD * (Fernando Meirelles), 8 MILE (Curtis Hanson),
ROGER DODGER * (Dylan Kidd), DIRTY PRETTY THINGS (Stephen Frears), THE GOOD THIEF (Neil Jordan), IN AMERICA (Jim Sheridan), IRREVERSIBLE (Gaspar Noe),
KEN PARK (Larry Clark, Ed Lachman), LOST IN LA MANCHA (Keith Fulton, Luis Pepe), MAX (Menno Meyjes), 11.09.01 (Youssef Chahine, Amos Gitaï, Shohei Imamura, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Claude Lelouch, Ken Loach, Samira Makhmalbaf, Mira Nair, Idrissa Ouedraogo, Sean Penn, Danis Tanoviç), PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE (Paul Thomas Anderson), THE QUIET AMERICAN * (Phillip Noyce), RABBIT-PROOF FENCE * (Phillip Noyce), THE TRIALS OF HENRY KISSINGER (Eugene Jarecki), WHITE OLEANDER (Peter Kosminsky). TOTAL: 16.
Definite Interests: ANTWONE FISHER (Denzel Washington), AUTO FOCUS * (Paul Schrader), BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE (Michael Moore), THE FOUR FEATHERS (Shekhar Kapur), FRIDA * (Julie Taymor),), THE INTENDED (Kristian Levring), L' HOMME DU TRAIN (Patrice Leconte), LAUREL CANYON (Lisa Cholodenko), MOONLIGHT MILE (Brad Silberling), PHONE BOOTH (Joel Schumacher),
THE SECRET LIVES OF DENTISTS (Alan Rudolph), STANDING IN THE SHADOWS OF MOTOWN (Paul Justman), SPIDER (David Cronenberg), TALK TO HER (Pedro Almodóvar). TOTAL: 14.
If You Can Fit 'Em In, Great: 8 WOMEN (François Ozon), ADOLPHE (Benoit Jacquot), ALL OR NOTHING (Mike Leigh), ARARAT (Atom Egoyan), ASSASSINATION TANGO (Robert Duvall), CITY OF GHOSTS (Matt Dillon), FAR FROM HEAVEN (Todd Haynes), EVELYN (Bruce Beresford), FEMME FATALE (Brian De Palma), THE GUYS (Jim Simpson), HEAVEN * (Tom Tykwer), JET LAG (Danièle Thompson), MC5: A TRUE TESTIMONIAL (David C. Thomas), SEX IS COMEDY (Catherine Breillat), SWEET SIXTEEN (Ken Loach). TOTAL: 15.
High-Priority Shorts: The Ghost of F. Scott Fitzgerald (Charles Lyon), The Nazi (Rod Lurie), The Man We Want To Hang (Kenneth Anger). TOTAL: 3.
Theory
"If you want a reason why Brian Grazer is not sending Eminem to Toronto to kick off 8 MILE, watch the MTV Video Music Awards. The guy appears to have no sense of humor when he's confronted by Triumph the Insult Comic Dog (from Conan O'Brien's show) and threatens to beat up Moby while he accepts an award. Imagine what he'd do if he'd lost. The publicists and bodyguards at 8 MILE's after-party would probably have to be on special alert to keep Eminem from pissing off the journalists." -- Joe Corey
Letter From Brazil
"I'm a Brazilian film critic who feels CITY OF GOD is one of the best Brazilian movies since PIXOTE. Unfortunately, I'm not so sure the committee responsible for choosing the movie that will run for an Oscar nomination will select it, as some critics believe CITY OF GOD shows a degrading image of Brazil, since we never see any other reality than the 'slum' one. But I understand why the film's director, Fernando Meirelles told his story in this way. For the people who live in Rio 's drug-riddled favelas , there is no other reality.
"CITY OF GOD is the right film at the right time. Released during one of the worst violence crises in Brazilian history, it portrays in a realistic, shocking way the terrible universe of drug traffic that is, without a doubt, the thing most responsible for the barbarities that Brazilians currently face.
"Adapted from the book by Paulo Lins, the film tells a series of true cases that are part of the history of Cidade De Deus, one of the most dangerous slums of Rio De Janeiro. Created in the 60s to serve as a home for the homeless (eliminating the "imperfections" in Rio's landscape), the place began serving as a stage for violent battles between different gangs disputing the traffic's supremacy.
"Skillfully directed by Fernando Meirelles (who shares the credits with Kátia Lund), CITY OF GOD shines in its technical aspects: working with different photographic styles for each of the decades portrayed, the director makes an excellent recreation of that time and uses the soundtrack in an efficient form. Moreover, the film has an energetic and fast edition: the time transitions, in particular, are beautifully done.
"And yet Meirelles never allows the style to become more important than the content, proving that the violence of that world is still more shocking than what we could imagine. Worse, this violence is inevitable, since in the heat of the action a slap in the face could be a reason to commit murder. There is a particularly terrifying scene that illustrates that on a battlefield, there are no children -- everyone is a soldier.
"Amusing, intelligent, tense and always interesting, City of God also portrays the corrupted police and scores extra points when illustrates the hypocrisy of the media, which denounces the terror of the traffic, but feeds their industry by buying their innocent pot. And for those who condemn the film for its optimistic outcome, I ask only one question: what is positive about that last take? The answer: nothing. That's a sad, frightening vision -- a tragically real one.
"Do yourselves a favor and watch CITY OF GOD. You will have 'fun' for two hours (yes, the film also works as entertainment), and in the process will learn much more about this hidden country that exists inside traditional Brazil." -- Pablo Villaça
Kyle, Reeves, Miramax
'I just wanted to send you a quick e-mail regarding your thoughts on Miramax's 'fishy' reluctance to cast Kyle MacLachlan in TRUTH, JUSTICE & THE AMERICAN WAY. In all the articles I've been reading on this subject, you seem to be the only one who acknowledges that something just doesn't add up about the studio's reasoning -- and you're right. The fact is, their decision was not based on Kyle's lack of star power. If Kyle's screen test had convinced Miramax that he was George Reeves, he would have been hired regardless of his box office pedigree. Miramax simply didn't respond to the test. I'm a huge fan of Kyle's, and I would have loved to have been blown away by his test, but I wasn't either. Kyle is excellent actor, but his strong resemblance to Reeves doesn't automatically make him right for the role. Miramax doesn't deserve the criticism they've been taking on this one." -- Paul Bernbaum, screenwriter of "TJ&TAW"
Wells To Bernbaum: That's funny because, as you know, I felt that Kyle really caught the guy I've seen on all those Superman episodes. George Reeves was not a great emoter and didn't have a huge range --- he tended to be pat and perfunctory. Which is pretty much how Kyle played him in the test – not as Laurence Olivier or Marlon Brando would have played him but as Reeves himself actually seemed to be.
Anything for a Buck
"Sean Connery in HIGHLANDER 2. You can almost hear the meter ticking when he's on screen." -- David Gaffney
"Laurence Olivier in THE BETSY. Richard Burton in THE MEDUSA TOUCH. Gene Hackman, Burt Reynolds and Liza Minelli in LUCKY LADY. Also: Gene Hackman in MARCH OR DIE. And oh, yeah -- Gene Hackman in THE DOMINO PRINCIPLE." -- Doug Pratt
"He's since been able to pull himself out of the stigma, but for a while Michael Caine epitomized the label of doing any movie for the buck." -- Craig Finnerty
"Mel Gibson (LETHAL WEAPON 3 AND 4, CONSPIRACY THEORY, MAVERICK, BIRD ON A WIRE); Nicolas Cage (GONE IN 60 SECONDS, THE ROCK, CON AIR, SNAKE EYES); John Travolta (SWORDFISH, DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE, LUCKY NUMBERS, BATTLEFIELD EARTH, THE GENERAL'S DAUGHTER, MAD CITY); Bruce Willis (MERCURY RISING, ARMAGEDDON, HUDSON HAWK, LAST MAN STANDING)." -- Derrold Purifoy
"Gene Hackman in BEHIND ENEMY LINES, THE PACKAGE, NARROW MARGIN and many other films has made me wonder if money was his only motive." -- Dean Anderson
"Jeremy Irons and Thora Birch in DUNGEONS & DRAGONS (Even Tom Baker and Richard O'Brien may qualify on that one) Barry Pepper and Forest Whitaker in BATTLEFIELD EARTH (I don't believe either is a Scientologist, so no excuses). Marlon Brando in SUPERMAN (enjoy the movie or not, I think this fits the description. The role hardly required him, and he ended up with top billing and a huge payday.)" -- Ron Spiegelhalter
"One of the worst offenders in this regard is Samuel L. Jackson, who for every CHANGING LANES has a XXX (a quintessential non-performance) or A TIME TO KILL to his discredit. His upcoming FORMULA 51 seems like another smartass job, and his 2003 entries, BASIC (with his cash-grabbing PULP FICTION co-star John Travolta) and S.W.A.T., have more the ring of the cash register than the ring of Oscar about them.
"Another disturber of the peace is Robert De Niro, who since the mid-80s has appeared in a film every fiscal quarter, presumably on the advice of his accountant. Clockwork schlock like SHOWTIME and 15 MINUTES reduces his currency with audiences. While watching the trailer for CITY BY THE SEA a guy sitting near me exclaimed, "De Niro... again!" My sentiments exactly.
"Two younger performers who need to check themselves are the brothers Wilson, Owen and Luke, whose acting resumes are beginning to accumulate lint. The former too often props up aging novelty acts like Jackie Chan and Eddie Murphy (talk about a cash cow….does he have any personal stake in any film he commits to?); the latter is the millennial equivalent of a Wendell Corey, taking vacuous boyfriend roles in films that spotlight stronger female stars like Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, and Reese Witherspoon.
"A suggestion for Owen Wilson: THE DENNIS HOPPER STORY. Separated at birth, and how."
-- Robert Cashill
Wells To Cashill: That's an excellent idea for Owen to look into, and I love the Wendell Corey analogy for Luke....although you have to allow that Luke is slightly cuter than Wendell was in his prime.
Cashill To Wells: 'I don't think it's money-mongering that's (entirely) driving the Wilsons; it's more that these are the sorts of rite-of-passage roles that younger performers are obliged to take, until they become established in the public eye. The trouble comes when these roles define the actor, ensuring a lightweight and uninteresting career. Maybe Luke Wilson can play Peter Fonda in THE DENNIS HOPPER STORY.
"I was going to add Anthony Hopkins to the list of money-grubbers, but thought it redundant to do so. I can't think of a single British character actor, male or female, young or old, who doesn't view Hollywood as an ATM for prestige performers. It doesn't mean they don't do good work, but I suspect the commercial prospects come first."
Horrific
"While you are certainly entitled, like the rest of us, to ponder the events of September 11, your use of an image of a man falling to his death from one of the towers -- an image, mind you, that's tucked in between movie news and gossip -- is grotesque and exploitative. It's one thing to point readers toward The ATLANTIC's landmark coverage, it's another thing to run a photo that does absolutely nothing for the reader, for our memories of September 11, for that doomed man. Have some respect for the dead and remove the photograph." -- Concerned Entertainment Writer
Wells To Concerned Entertainment Writer: "I get your point, but that photo astonished me. It still does. When I think of that day, I don't think of tasteful, somber recollections organized by producers of NIGHTLINE or of poems written by firemen's wives. I think of the absolute, full-bore horror -- the terrible claw of death reaching out and snatching almost 3000 New Yorkers in the space of a couple of hours.
"The stories I wrote were inspired by all those sentiment-pandering books about the 9.11 anniversary that I've been seeing in chain book stores, and by what may turn out be a significant detour off this road in the form of an allegedly anti-American (or at least partly anti-American) documentary, 11.09.01, that'll be showing at the Toronto and Venice film festivals.
"But mainly, to lay it out plainly, I'm tired of the sensibility that says we need to shield ourselves from the reality of that day. I'm tired of the mandated sensitivity. I realize certain lines of tastefulness have to be drawn, but I've never seen a jumper's face before, of what he or she wore, or the type of shoes they had on, or whether they had khaki pants on or not. I think it's a sad, sad photo.
"On the other hand, it hit me when I came upon the photo that the general media has kept detailed photos of this type out of circulation. When I read your letter part of me was saying the hell with lectures from the pulpit and the pointed fingers from the sensitivity police. Another part said toe the line and do the usual, which is keep the horror hidden away and, by extension, contribute to the general effort to blur and minimize those images, if not erase them from our minds. I say keep 'em strong and vivid.
"I can live with your opinion, but I dislike and disagree with efforts to make tasteful and digestible an experience that was beyond terrifying, and which I still have an occasional nightmare flash about. I don't believe in slapping PG-13 labels on something like this. It was too horrific. It should never go away.
"And what about that famous LIFE magazine photo of a loyalist fighter getting shot during a battle in the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s, or that horrible photo of those Czechs or Poles about be executed by the Nazis and their faces grimacing and showing panic only a second or two before the bullets were fired? How did their families feel, do you imagine, when LIFE magazine published the photos? Were they hurt, angered, reacquainted with their terrible loss, outraged, etc.? If they had made their feelings known in a letter to LIFE's managing editor, what do you think his or her response would have been?"
"I respect your posting that picture of the man falling to his death from the WTC. The sanitization of the horrors of that day by the American media has infuriated me for a year now. Their unwillingness to show such film and photos while jumping at the chance to show pictures of dead Taliban or Palestinians on the evening news has struck me as an attempt lull the public back to sleep about the threat and to minimize other's guilt and maximize our own." -- Leonard Speakman
"Thanks for the tip on the ATLANTIC story. That bit about the guy who survived the collapse is gripping stuff. I too wish we'd see something beyond the fluff that's been published in book form that tells the story without a slant either toward 'America's still the greatest' or 'America had it coming.' Some of the best accounts I read were actually in the Sept. 12 WALL STREET JOURNAL. ROLLING STONE also had some interesting perspectives from several people who lived downtown in its memorial issue. Where did you get the photo of the person falling? It's hard to find more intense pictures like these. As you've said before, we need these images to remind us of what went down. We shouldn't shield ourselves from it." -- Jason Williams
Role Playing
New Line production executive Jeff Katzswoped in and identified Friday's cast ahead of everyone else. They appeared together in Mark Rydell's INTERSECTION... And that'll do it. No more Role Playing until Wednesday, September 18.
What's That Line?
There will be no more games until the close of the Toronto Film Festival, my coverage of which begins today, sort of, and continues into the column running Friday, September 13th. I'll probably run columns here next week – Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
The steadfast Los Angeles attorney Mark Kane was first (but only by a hair – Long Beach reader Mikhal Borscht answered correctly only seconds after Kane's email) in identifying Friday's dialogue, which I'm repeating for those who missed it:
Prosecutor to plainclothes cop: "Before we start, there's a wonderful quote. From a man named Thomas Da Quincy. He wrote… [picks up book, begins reading] 'If once a man indulges in murder, very soon he comes to think little of robbing. And from robbing he comes next to drinking and Sabbath-breaking, and from that to incivility and procrastination.'"
This dialogue was read in Sidney Lumet's Prince of the City(1982). The screenplay was by Jay Presson Allen. The players in the scene are Steven Inwood (the prosecutor) and Treat Williams.
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