THE Brazilian “City of Men” returns to the crime- and drug-filled Rio slums of the 2005 film “City of God.” But despite using many of the same actors and crew members, it lacks the hyperkinetic energy that made the earlier film so watchable.
The bullet-riddled drama, directed by Paulo Morelli, focuses on two childhood buddies. Eighteen-year-old Ace (Douglas Silva) is married and has a young son; Wallace (Darlan Cunha), who is slightly younger, still lives with his father.
Both men’s lives are thrown into deeper crisis when they’re caught in a deadly drug war. “City of Men” is the offshoot of a popular Brazilian TV series with the same name, and it shows.
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.”
In Portuguese, with English subtitles. Running time: 110 minutes. Rated R (extreme violence). At the Lincoln Plaza and the Angelika.