City of God (Brasil, 2002) 130´ 28/03/2013

This crime drama film by Fernando Meirelles depicts the growth of organized crime in the Cidade de Deus suburb of Rio de Janeiro, between the end of the 1960s and the beginning of the 1980s, with the closure of the film depicting the war between the drug dealer Li'l Zé (Leandro Firmino) and criminal Knockout Ned (Seu Jorge).
The film is based on a novel of the same name written by Paulo Lins, but the plot is loosely based on real events.


The film was nominated and won several awards including the Best Editing BAFTA Award. It also was well-acclaimed.
"As the movie's frenetic visual rhythms and mood swings synchronize with the zany, adrenaline-fueled impulsiveness of its lost youth on the rampage, you may find yourself getting lost in this teeming netherworld." Stephen Holden. New York Times. 16/01/2013.

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THE FILM CONTAINS VERY VIOLENT SCENES.

See the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldVlSKByUtg

Trainspotting (UK, 1996) 95´. 21/03/2013

This British black comedy was directed by Danny Boyle and it is based on the novel of the same name by Irvine Welsh. The film starring Ewan McGregor, who plays the role of Mark Renton, a guy involved in a world of heroin addiction in a late 1980s economically depressed area of Edinburgh and his passage through life. Beyond drug addiction, other concurrent themes in the film are exploration of the urban poverty and squalor in "culturally rich" Edinburgh.


The film won the award for the Best Adapted Screenplay at the 1995 British Academy Film Awards. It garnered almost universal praise from critics.
"For better or worse, sometimes strictly for the sake of shock value, the stylish irreverence of Trainspotting mimics that drug high and delivers its own potent kick." Janet Maslin. New York Times. 01/01/2000.
See the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=troBCR2VN4M

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN´S DAY. REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES. (USA, 2002) 90´ 07/03/2013

On 8^th of this month the International Women´s Day will be celebrated, and in the Cinema Club we want to join the festivity. For that reason we have decided to screen Real Women Have Curves.

This film by Patricia Cardoso is based on a theater play by Josefina López. It tells the story of Ana (America Ferrara), a first generation Mexican-American teenager on the verge of becoming a woman. She lives in the predominately Latino community of East Los Angeles. Freshly graduated from high school, Ana receives a full scholarship to Columbia University. Her very traditional, old-world parents feel that now is the time for Ana to help provide for the family, not the time for college.


The film was commended by critics and won different awards, for instance it won the Audience Award in addition to Special Jury Prizes for America Ferrera and Lupe Ontiveros at the Sundance Film Festival.
"A charming and funny story of clashing cultures and a clashing mother/daughter relationship." Laura Bushell. BBC. 16/01/2003.

See the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKpDifyDIp0