OWFilm World Cup Round 1: Brazil vs. Canada
Nobody has won the Football World Cup more than Brazil, but their country's cinema isn't particularly revered. They go up against Canada in another first round match!
Voting has now ended on the 'War of the Gods' match between Sweden and South Korea, and perhaps it's the recent familiarity that played a part in the result. Sweden (Let the Right One In) 62% beat South Korea (Oldboy) 38%.
First Round of OWFilm World Cup
Nobody has won the Football World Cup more than Brazil, and although their country's cinema isn't particularly revered, they do have an ace up their sleeve in this tournament with City of God, a post-Tarantino/Scorsese gangster movie. They go up against Canada, whose cinema is entirely overshadowed by that of it's close American counterparts. Their entry is Vincenzo Natali's horror/mystery mindf**k Cube. Vote now for which film you want to see advance to the next round. Remember you are voting for YOUR OPINION on which film you prefer.
City of God (2002)
OSCAR COUNT (0) IMDB (8.8, #17) RT (92%) EMPIRE TOP 500 (#177TH)
Upon its release in 2003, City of God received hugely positive widespread reviews and was quickly hailed as the Brazilian Goodfellas. This is quite the compliment indeed but a commendable one at that as the film certainly keeps pace with Scorseses mafia classic in regards to its energetically driven storylines and its array of eccentric and striking characters. Director Fernando Meirelles has a fine handle on how to tell a story and he brings out the best from the films larger than life characters in order to present various emotional layers of warmth, humour, horror, adventure and tension. Ultimately we are told the story through the narration of the kind hearted and good natured protagonist Rocket and the longer we spend with him in the gangland environment the more we wish for him to escape and fulfil his dream of becoming a photographer. Although the film can be a little excessively whacky in places, it is careful still to show the tragic nature of slum life such as little kids finding their way into gangs and innocent people dying. There is also a brilliantly mirrored ending where a gang of youths are inspired by the carnage of war and plan their own path of dominance. No-one has learnt anything from the bloodshed. It is the films cleverly woven mixture of exciting set-pieces and harrowing details surrounding the gang culture which paint a brilliant picture of a world which is most comfortably viewed from a distance. For our protagonist this distance is protected through the lens of a camera and for us its protected through the medium of film. A true twenty first century classic. INTERESTING FACT: Actor Leandro Firmino is from the actual City of God and only attended the auditions for the film to keep his friend company. He had no plans to be in the film itself yet ended up playing the role of the films key antagonist Ze Pequeno. Makes you wonder how much acting was really involved.
Cube (1997)
OSCAR COUNT (0) IMDB (7.5) RT (63%) EMPIRE TOP 500 (Not listed)
Cube is perhaps the perfect example of how a film can be visually impressive, dramatically exciting and thematically intriguing without the need for big budget effects, Hollywood stars or pretentious and forced emotional layers. The simplicity of the storyline is also the films greatest charm. Eight strangers wake up in a surreally designed room and come to realise that they are locked inside a sophisticated cube structure. They must then use their varying degree of skills to try to figure a way out. On paper this sounds simple enough but the film uses this premise to its advantage to summon up that key ingredient missing from so many films within the horror/thriller vein, namely DRAMATIC INTRIGUE. The further the film develops, the more the layers of the cube are unravelled and the more desperate we become to find out what is going on and how the characters are going to be able to escape. The films greatest strength as it builds to its conclusion however is that we are never given a definitive answer as to how or why the cube has come into existence. While it might be frustrating at the time the open-ended nature of the film offers the audience the rare chance to come up with their own explanations. Whilst some people find political and social connotations within the structure I myself prefer to see the scenario as a type of metaphor for the journey of life. You are born, you try and progress in life and find the answers and then by the end you still havent really figured out what it was all really about. It is these existential offerings which give the film some good layers and make for essential and rewarding repeat viewings. Underrated. INTERESTING FACT: Cube is a film which would work wonders on the stage given that the film was shot on a single 14x14 set with the rooms made to look unique through the use of different coloured panels. WRITERS VERDICT: I love the open for interpretation feel of Cube and think that it works as a very clever insight into human behaviour and emotional stress. Whilst I also appreciate the concept of the different rooms I think that their layout could have been more inventive given that a creative master such as Roald Dahl could have had a field day thinking up what nasty treats were in store for each environment. City of God gets the nod for me for being a rewatchable, highly rewarding piece of layered drama which ticks all the dramatic boxes in terms of effective characters, dialogue, narrative and set-pieces presented in an engaging and unforgettable arena.