city of men be a feature film version of a blockbuster series that run on brazilian tv from 2002 to 2005. it be also a sequel of sort to the early city of god and an award win movie direct by fernando meirelles . paul morelli city of men focus on laranjinha ( darlan cunha ) and acerola ( douglas silva ) and two honorable teen who be struggle to make a decent life for themselves in the slum of rio de janeiro . the former be search for the father he never know and while the latter be only begin to learn what it mean to be a father to his own son . their personal story be set against the backdrop of a violent turf war between two rival gang that be battle it out for preeminence in the city . city of men reveals it origin a a tv series in the novelistic approach it take to storytelling and character development . from the beginning and we feel a if we have be thrust into the midst of a story already in progress . with little explanatory background and the screenplay ( by elena soarez ) introduce u all at once to a multiplicity of character and whose relationship with one another we be force to pick up almost on the fly a it be . this allow u to become both an observer of and an active participant in the drama that unfolds . certainly and one of the most important character in the movie be the city itself and since it be this very environment of poverty and hopelessness and violence that and in large measure and determine the kind of life these people will lead and the type of future they will have . morelli directorial style be up close and personal in the more intimate moment and and vivid and exciting in the pulse pound action sequence . the sense of immediacy that he and cinematographer adriano goldman bring to the work act a an effective counterweight to some of the more melodramatic element that creep into the screenplay towards the end . with excellent performance and a surprising amount of optimism give it generally depress milieu and setting and city of men be a tale of friendship and adult responsibility that will move the spirit and touch the heart .