Cidade dos Homens (City of Men)

Intense drama set in the favelas of Brazil. Based on a TV show that was a spin-off of the movie City of God by the same director. The themes of fatherhood, friendship and responsibilities are right on the surface, but kept interesting by the phenomenal performances by the two leading men. The sweltering heat and gang violence and poverty are so close you can feel the pressure and the need for things you can count on. Not complicated or surprising but a very well told story with hope as a footnote in the lives of the characters.