Lower City [DVD]

An electrifying directorial debut from director Sergio Machado, Lower City is a powerful and erotic fusion of City of God, y tu mama tambien and Truffaut's Jules et Jim.A steamy love triangle set in the low life milieu of Brazil's Salvador del Bahia, where violence is always likely to erupt, Deco (Lazaro Ramos) and Naldhino (Wagner Moura) are lifelong best friends and co-owners of a small boat. On a trip down the river they give a ride to Karinna (Alice Braga), a young hooker whose services they enthusiastically pay for. Neither of them realises the force of passion, obsession and jealousy they are about to unleash.One of the hottest Cannes titles ever, Lower City's power radiates from two key sources: searing performances from a talented young cast and Machado's supremely confident and strikingly visceral direction. The film's sweaty passion and immediacy frequently threaten to erupt from the screen.