Elite Squad (2008)

A brutal, unwavering & violent dive into the criminal underworld existing within the slums of Rio de Janerio, Elite Squad is a semi-fictional account of Brazil's own SWAT team, known as BOPE, and while the film became a cultural phenomenon in its country during its time of release, I fail to see anything that's so impressive about it.Set in the late 1990s, Elite Squad (also known as Tropa de Elite) follows the leader of Rio de Janerio's Special Police Operations Squad who is looking for his replacement as he intends to retire from the field soon and take the job of training new recruits. But his final operation requires him to take down drug dealers & criminals in the slum area before Pope's arrival in Brazil.Co-written & directed by José Padilha, there isn't much wrong with the singular aspects here for the direction is pretty good, screenplay does put up some interesting characters on screen, and its raw handling of its subject matter does evoke a gritty feel but what the film lacks is a proper presentation for the whole picture has a messed-up structure which makes it very difficult to follow.Set pieces & locations do give this story the atmosphere required to set the desired mood, Cinematography encapsulates the film with a crude, unrefined layer but its poor execution of hand-held camera-work does hurt it at times. Editing is another major disappointment for the plot completely lacks a streamlined flow & is far more fragmented than required, and the only thing that leaves a mark is the strong performances by its cast.On an overall scale, Elite Squad could've been one of the most captivating examples of its genre but thanks to its lack of refinement, no sense of direction, messy plot & bewildering narration, it misses the mark by quite a distance. Every aspect does have a few things that are impressive, but it fails to seamlessly integrate into one engaging motion picture. Still for its unflinching portrait of crime, corruption & police brutality, Elite Squad is worth at least one shot.

It's the best police movie I've ever seen. It'so realistic, specially the shots. The scene was also perfect!Basically the movie describes the fight between drug dealers and corrupt cops against the good police officers, some of them from the military police force and most of them from BOPE. Although it shows how the corruption of the Military Police Force works out in Brazil, how the system is used against itself and makes everything so difficult that it's almost impossible for honest people to deal with their own personal issues without dealing with corruption. And by the way, that's entirely true. The scene that i like very much is when Captain Nascimento interrogates people. The camera and editing are great, and the actors gave their best action. Two thumbs up...

I have never been to south for the Equator and the Portuguese language is unfamiliar to me as well - thus, I have no reliable personal knowledge of the life in the Rio de Janeiro metropolis. However, large cities with fast growth are prone to crime and violence, and police forces are under-financed in "calmer" countries and well. So it is no wonder that greed, poverty and considering authorities as brutal and oppressing (sometimes rightfully) create an atmosphere as depicted in the Tropa de Elite, which won the Best Movie award of the Berlin International Film Festival, the Golden Bear.All the events, fates and scenes are well depicted, but the flickering camera work, unvaried surrounding (slums) and no signs of hope/improvement make the movie cloddish to follow. The cast is even and strong, without any distinct performances, and it is easy to mix up the characters within the dark, occasional lights, and shootings and arrests. The tensions come and go, and the ending is too sudden... I am hesitant is deciding whether to watch the sequel - although I consider myself as a curios person :) 7/10 from me at present, my hopes were a bit higher.

This movie pictures Brazil's reality in so many different aspects that it's impossible to describe it in a few words. What we watch in it is our everyday... violent events we see on the news and sometimes, unfortunately, we may experience such events in person... or hear them from friends and relatives.It's not just an action movie, it touches deeper trying to show what leads characters to the events depicted in the movie. Jose Padilha (director) successfully presents us stereotypes in such a complex way that they look more than just stereotypes (like "hey, I know a guy just like that character". But maybe it's just because I'm Brazilian).The movie (thanks to Padilha, very well developed) starts with distinct stories about 2 friends just graduating from the police academy, corrupt police officers, wealthy college students and a police elite squad named BOPE (Batalhao de OPeracoes Especiais, Special Operations Battalion). They all relate to each other lightly, but their strong bond is the crime in the city of Rio de Janeiro.The story is narrated by Captain Nascimento, an honest and incorruptible commander of a BOPE battalion. Under his point of view (but enough elements are presented, so viewers aren't restricted to Nascimento's point o view), he describes how the poor, the rich and the corrupt keep spinning the wheel of crime and how endemic it is in Rio de Janeiro.The plot is very well structured and filled with nice subplots (BOPE military training, Pope's visit to Rio, action scenes, drama scenes, twists...), this is a very nice way to see Brazilian's society... not because it's complicated, but because sometimes it's just this simple.The actors in this movie are very good too, it's worth mentioning how Wagner Moura is outstanding as Capt. Nascimento.And the action scenes are very nice too, seems very real.Probably one of my favorite movies.