| 88 |
Philadelphia Inquirer
Steven Rea
In many ways, City of Men is like a Portuguese-language version of David Simon's "The Wire."
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| 75 |
Portland Oregonian
Shawn Levy
It's energetic and occasionally inspired. Its gritty, sweaty, shiny feel deepens the case that there's a vital new essence to Brazilian cinema.
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| 75 |
San Francisco Chronicle
Ruthe Stein
A compelling and visually arresting drama.
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| 75 |
Chicago Tribune
Michael Phillips
Director Morelli and editor Daniel Rezende know how to set up complex lines of action and keep the screws tight.
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| 75 |
Charlotte Observer
Lawrence Toppman
The three leads all played these characters over multiple seasons on the TV show; they're comfortable in these skins, and they show that. (Confusingly, all three appeared in "City of God" under other characters' names.)
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| 75 |
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Bill White
Cunha and Silva, both featured in 2002's similarly themed "City of God," have been playing these roles since they were 13, and the rapport between them is electrifying. Much of the sweetness of the film comes from what they bring to their roles.
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| 75 |
USA Today
Claudia Puig
A poignant look at the legacies of fathers who abdicate their responsibilities.
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| 75 |
TV Guide
Ken Fox
It's lighter, funnier and violent, and it's not entirely without hope, making this tale of survival under horrendous conditions far more suitable for younger, more impressionable audiences.
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| 70 |
Chicago Reader
J.R. Jones
The story might have been lifted from an old Warner Brothers melodrama, though it's smartly paced, sincerely delivered, and consistently absorbing.
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| 70 |
Variety
Derek Elley
Despite its sudsy storyline, this second tour through the punk-infested Rio slums could attract more mature arthouse auds, drawn by character rather than the minutiae of guns 'n' drugs, though it's unlikely to match "God's" muscular $7.5 million U.S. take.
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| 70 |
Washington Post
John Anderson
So much emotional traffic streams through this City of Men that it's easy to miss a narrative turnoff. You won't get lost, but your sense of direction might be profoundly changed.
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| 70 |
Film Threat
K.J. Doughton
Some might perceive City of Men as a slow film, while others could reasonably argue that Morelli is taking more time to develop characters.
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| 67 |
The Onion (A.V. Club)
Nathan Rabin
City Of Men has its share of problems, but being too entertaining isn't one of them.
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| 67 |
Austin Chronicle
Marjorie Baumgarten
Intriguing.
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| 67 |
Entertainment Weekly
Owen Gleiberman
As heavy with message as any Hollywood delinquent drama of the late '50s.
|
| 63 |
New York Daily News
Elizabeth Weitzman
The movie's power comes less from its contrived story than everything else: the stark setting, chaotic energy and authentic cast.
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| 63 |
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
Rick Groen
A mix of credible sociology and tired melodrama, along with a palpable sense of déjà vu. Because the plight of boyz 'n' the hood is a global tragedy, its depiction on the screen has become a global commonplace with its own attendant danger – the tragedy is starting to feel trite.
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| 60 |
New York Magazine
David Edelstein
City of Men is clunky and often contrived, but there’s something haunting about fatherless boys in a blighted place fumbling to teach themselves what it means to be a man.
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| 60 |
Village Voice
Julia Wallace
Paulo Morelli directs capably, with a heavy dash of MTV-generation flair: hyper-saturated colors, close-ups of skin glittering with sweat, and a constant patter of gunfire that undergirds the soundtrack like a steady heartbeat.
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| 60 |
The New York Times
Stephen Holden
City of Men has a more humane, you might say bleeding-heart, perspective on this anarchic culture than “City of God.”
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| 60 |
Los Angeles Times
Kevin Crust
Morelli uses plentiful flashbacks drawn from the earlier movie and television series that are at times intrusive to the narrative but eventually serve to deepen the relationship of Ace and Laranjinha.
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| 58 |
Baltimore Sun
Michael Sragow
It's doubly disappointing that all the subplots about Ace and Wallace and their fathers intertwine in increasingly predictable ways.
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| 50 |
Boston Globe
Wesley Morris
The movie has a dramatic thinness, breezy tone, and unconvincing happy-ish ending that make it feel more inconsequential than anything about killers and imperiled children probably should.
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| 50 |
New York Post
V.A. Musetto
Performances are up to par, but the story unfolds conventionally - it lacks the fragmented fury of its predecessor. You might call it "City of God Lite."
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| 50 |
Miami Herald
Rene Rodriguez
Six years after its release, "City of God" is still electrifying and fresh: It hasn't aged a bit. City of Men, though, already feels strangely stale.
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