As the film starts, we see a respectable man at the funeral of a young girl before being pursued and caught by corrupt police working for a politician. He throws a wallet onto a passing trash lorry, and it ends up at the dump where it is picked up by Raphael, a young scavenger. From here, Raphael and his two friends Gardo and Rato pursue the clues which the contents of the wallet offer them, even as they are being pursued by the police.
You may see this Portuguese language film promoted as a Martin Sheen / Rooney Mara movie: don't be misled. Sheen and Mara are a bit more than blink-and-you'll-miss-'em, but not by much. This film belongs to the youngsters at its heart, and particularly Rickson Tevez as Raphael. The film is set entirely in the slums of Rio de Janeiro, and has an incredible sense of atmosphere. The kids are engaging and very naturalistic. The plot is a bit cookie-cutter, but is still effective and suspenseful.
I wasn't terribly convinced by the ending, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
You may see this Portuguese language film promoted as a Martin Sheen / Rooney Mara movie: don't be misled. Sheen and Mara are a bit more than blink-and-you'll-miss-'em, but not by much. This film belongs to the youngsters at its heart, and particularly Rickson Tevez as Raphael. The film is set entirely in the slums of Rio de Janeiro, and has an incredible sense of atmosphere. The kids are engaging and very naturalistic. The plot is a bit cookie-cutter, but is still effective and suspenseful.
I wasn't terribly convinced by the ending, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.