Trash (2014) (Portuguese & English Language)

Spread the love

114min

Genre: Action, Crime, Mystery, Drama, Thriller

Director: Stephen Daldry

Cast: Rickson Tevez, Rooney Mara, Wagner Moura…and more

Writers: Richard Curtis, Felipe Braga & Andy Mulligan

Set in the streets and slums of modern day Rio De Janeiro (Brazil), three poor teenagers discover something in the city dump which places them in the middle of a dangerous game of crime and corruption with the light of justice shimmering in the distance.

Set in Brazil, featuring American actors and written and directed by Brits, Trash is a global “potpourri” of a film which combines the setting and cultural background of ‘City of God’ with the slightly less gruesome sensibility and tone of ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ into a tense action/mystery, for all its efforts though ‘Trash’ lacks the style and vibrancy of those two modern classics and is ultimately not as memorable.

The film is not without its merits though and is certainly a visceral movie experience that shows a part of Brazil you would not have seen during the World Cup, the performances from the three young Brazilian leads are impressive for first-timers and the established Brazilian and American cast featuring the likes of Wagner Moura and Martin Sheen are accomplished as ever.

Trash has an energy and underlying heart that’s similar to ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ but is somewhat at odds with the subject matter of social injustice and institutional corruption which it depicts, it ultimately deals with it in a sentimental way that seems out of place but clearly designed to have a broader appeal, have a look at ‘Elite Squad’ if you’re looking for a grittier and more realistic depiction of the dark side of “Favela” life.

Entertaining and gripping but too gritty to be a family film and too sentimental to be an effective drama, ‘Trash’ is a dark but hope-filled thriller that rather naively depicts a complex state of socio-economic corruption which has plagued Brazilian life for decades at all levels.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Similar films you may like (Home Video)

City of God (2002)

A thrillingly violent tale based on a true story and set in the notorious Favelas of Rio De Janeiro, two very different slum-kids grow up together and ultimately apart through the trials and tribulations of the “City of God” in this ground-breaking Brazilian drama.

Directed by Fernando Meirelles and starring Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino and Seu Jorge among others.

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

An Indian slum kid whose extraordinary life experiences on the streets of Mumbai and beyond help him on the quest to win big on “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?” and attract the attention of his true love in this visceral life-affirming drama.

Directed by Danny Boyle and starring Dev Patel, Freida Pinto and Anil Kapoor among others.