Elite Squad (Tropa de Elite)

Cast: Andre Ramiro, Caio Junqueira, Maria Ribeiro, Wagner Moura

Hitting the notorious Brazilian favelas yet again, after the superb classic 'City of Gods', this production by director Jose Padilha is a semi-fictional account depicting the BOPE (the Special Police Operations Battalion) of Rio de Janeiro. Containing all elements of drug-trafficking, police brutality, violence and street corruption - it portrays the flip side of the favela's policing (death squads) which may leave an excessive bitter taste in your mouth,.

ES is an intense portrayal that follows the lives of two prospective BOPE officers, Andre Matias and Neto Gouveia, one strongly principled, the other trigger happy. The third is BOPE Captain; Nascimento (who provides the narrative throughout) suffers from psychological problems as a result of his work and has to find his replacement as he becomes a father. It revolves around the visit of John Paul II to Rio and brutal police cleansing of the favelas prior to it. You have to suffer regardless on which 'corrupt' side you chose to take in the favelas - there is no escape, just ways to survive,

Any means goes as the BOPE ensure extreme measures are taken - innocent, guilty there is no distinction at their hands or facing their AKA 47s,The film depicts the drug militias who control the slums and BOPE's who control them in an out - of - control environment, a tense, graphic, violent, shocking plot - leaving you hooked in as you crave more insight into a world beyond legal solutions, FACT: ES stands as the most popular Brazilian film in history - take a look and you'll see why....