I saw this movie at the Berlinale and can't hide my disappointment. It doesn't even bear comparison with the City of God. The plot is disjointed, inconclusive, and leads into several cul-de-sacs. As another poster wrote - what kind of parents would just drop off their kid and then leave without taking him into the house? I got the feeling that the film tries to tackle too much and ends up very thinly spread. It was about the 1970 World Cup, it was about the relationship between a boy and an old Jewish man, it was about state persecution. But to my mind, only the second of these was handled in a satisfactory way. I left the cinema with so many unanswered questions in my mind.
I also didn't find the funny bits very funny - it was all a bit too predictable. And I also often had the feeling that the words of the boy were too much the words of a grown-up scriptwriter.
On the positive side I thought the acting was very solid; there were a couple of very touching moments; and the cinematography is pleasing, I especially the many shots of reflections.
I also didn't find the funny bits very funny - it was all a bit too predictable. And I also often had the feeling that the words of the boy were too much the words of a grown-up scriptwriter.
On the positive side I thought the acting was very solid; there were a couple of very touching moments; and the cinematography is pleasing, I especially the many shots of reflections.