Tropa de Elite (2007)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

José Padilha

Writers:

André Batista (book)
John Kaylin (adaptation)

Release Date:

12 October 2007 (Brazil)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

On the streets of Rio only the elite survive.

Plot:

1997, Captain Nascimento has to find a substitute for his occupation while trying to take down drug dealers and criminals before the Pope comes to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Plot Keywords:

Police | Slum | Favela | Rio De Janeiro Brazil | Brazil

Awards:

22 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Wagner Moura	...	Capitão Nascimento
Caio Junqueira	...	Neto
André Ramiro	...	André Matias
Maria Ribeiro	...	Rosane
Fernanda Machado	...	Maria
Fernanda de Freitas	...	Roberta
Paulo Vilela	...	Edu
Milhem Cortaz	...	Capitão Fábio
Marcelo Valle	...	Capitão Oliveira
Fábio Lago	...	Claudio Mendes de Lima 'Baiano'
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bruno Delia	...	Capitão Azevedo
Marcelo Escorel	...	Coronel Otávio
André Felipe	...	Rodrigues (as André Mauro)
Thelmo Fernandes	...	Sargento Alves
Emerson Gomes	...	Xaveco
Paulo Hamilton	...	Soldado Paulo
Bernardo Jablonski	...	Law teacher
Daniel Lentini	...	Rapaz 3 da Festa
Thiago Mendonça
Alexandre Mofatti	...	Sub-Comandante Carvalho
Erick Oliveira	...	Marcinho
Otto Jr.	...	Major Gouveia
André Santinho	...	Tenente Renan
Patrick Santos	...	Tinho
Ana Paula Secco	...	Mãe de Romerito (as Ana Paula Secco)
Ricardo Sodré	...	Cabo Bocão
Thogun	...	Cabo Tião

Also Known As:

Elite Squad (UK) (USA)
The Elite Squad (Europe: English title) (festival title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence, pervasive language and drug content.

Runtime:

115 min | Germany:118 min (Berlin International Film Festival)

Country:

Brazil | Netherlands | USA

Language:

Portuguese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Brazil:16 | Argentina:16 | USA:R | UK:18 | New Zealand:R18 | Ireland:18 | Portugal:M/16 | Norway:15 | Hong Kong:IIB | Singapore:M18 | Sweden:15 | Australia:MA | Germany:18 | France:-16

Filming Locations:

Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Company:

Zazen Produções

Trivia:

The university where part of the film was shot is PUC, located at the pleasant neighborhood of Gávea, at Rio de Janeiro, a very traditional elite school and considered the best private university in Brazil, and one of the best educational institutions in South America. This is where André Batista, one of the film's screenwriters, attended law school. He was a member of BOPE and was the inspiration for the character of André Matias, a honest man who finds himself torn between his life as a BOPE member and his life long dreams of being a lawyer.

Quotes:

Baiano: [Baiano is surrounded by the BOPE soldiers, having a handgun pointed to his face] ... N-not in the face, boss.
Capitão Nascimento: Say what?
Baiano: Don't shoot my f-face, you'll ruin my funeral...
Capitão Nascimento: [Capitão Nascimento puts the handgun away] Soldier 07, hand me the 12-gauge.
Baiano: Please no, boss...
Capitão Nascimento: [Handing the 12-gauge shotgun to soldier Mathias] Do him, he's yours.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Levels (2008)

Soundtrack:

Tropa de Elite

It's not only about the fun you are going to have watching this peace of work but the truth you are going to see on it.

Elite Squad is a most see movie. Despite all of the frenesi it's causing all around, it has a good storyline, excellent screenplay and a brilliant performance from all the cast in the movie, especially Wagner Moura who deserves all prizes he can get for this great performance.

Basically the movie explores the fight between drug dealers and corrupt cops against the good policemen's, some of them from the military police force and most of them from BOPE. That's the way the director Padilha's sees this fight which is not entirely true. Although it shows how the corruption of the Military Police Force works out in Brazil, how the system is used against itself and how the bureaucracy makes everything so difficult that it's almost impossible for honest people to deal with their own personal issues without dealing with corruption. And by the way, that's entirely true.

The baseline of the movie is the story of Nascimento's, who is the captain of BOPE (Special Forces Operations Battalion) which can be compared to SWAT. Nascimento needs a replacement and he needs to find the right person, someone who has all of the qualities the job demands. Two guys come up to be this person but none of them have all it takes. Neto has the attitude, the heart, but he's not smart and centered as he's best buddy Matias. The only thing they have in common which is mandatory for the job is the honesty and the will of changing things for the better.

The movie has all the elements that makes us go to a movie theater. It has a storyline, it has action thriller, and it has a great performance from the cast, all of them.

If you are planning to spend your money in another blockbuster, don't do it! Give a chance to this great movie that explores the WAR that we, from Rio de Janeiro, have to deal with everyday. It's not only about the fun you are going to have watching this peace of work but the truth you are going to see on it.