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Kirk Bage (1775 KP) rated City Of God (2002) in Movies

Mar 2, 2020 (Updated Mar 3, 2020)

City Of God (2002)

2002 | Crime, Drama

8.3

(16 Ratings)

Movie Rating

If there is one film I insist folk who don’t often go for a subtitled film watch, then City of God is it. Organised crime takes on a much different flavour in different cultures, and here we see how it is not merely a choice in search of riches and power, but a way of life that becomes a matter of survival. This exceptional film has everything: story, character, beauty, cruelty, ugliness, religion, morality and an abundance of heart and soul. Importantly it was co-directed, including a rare female eye in the genre, and it shows. There is a sensibility to City of God that transcends the trivial nature of many gangster / crime films. The violence is a means by which we feel genuine sorrow and empathy for a world gone mad. A highly polished work of art that resonates in human ways a lot of films on this list fail to do.

Kudos

Kirk Bage (1775 KP) rated A Prophet (Un prophete) (2010) in Movies

Mar 3, 2020 (Updated Mar 3, 2020)

A Prophet (Un prophete) (2010)

2010 | International, Drama

7.0

(4 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Last, but not least, we travel to France and journey into a seedy and disturbingly real world of crime and society in modern Europe. We follow the life of Malik, a confused young Arab man forced into a life of crime by circumstance, as he grows from petty criminal to a man of real power and influence. The whole thing feels dirty, deprived and cold; there isn’t a lot of glamour here. The pinstripe is a leather jacket and a tracksuit; the weapon is as likely to be bare hands or a rusty knife as a gun. The power of this film is in wondering how this young man can ever attain peace and redemption, as he descends deeper into the mire; how he becomes both truly lost and at the same time somehow enlightened. A grim tale, told with a European eye that shuns fancy camera work in favour of forcing you to watch, and think. Not a pleasant film, but an important one.

Kudos

Chloe (778 KP) rated The Death Messenger in Books

Apr 20, 2020

Suspense (3 more)

Fast-paced

Interesting

Clever

Unusual offender

The Death Messenger sends videos of crime scenes with an narration. Each crime scene has no physical evidence only the narration and what's on the videos. The detectives only have a voice to go on.

The story and person behind the killings is unusual, I didnt see it coming and loved the suspense aspect of the book towards the end. This book is fast-paced with great characters that you really come to love. I haven't read any of the other books with the same characters but would consider it now.

There is a lot of backstory to unpiece around the characters. I felt at times this took a large proportion of the story but now I've read the whole thing I wouldn't say it was overpowering. Initially, I thought the case impossible to unravel but it was done well with enough details and suspense throughout.