This film is about a special elite force--one that would make the American SWAT teams look like wimps. In a city (Rio) where drug dealers rule the slums and cops are mostly on the take, the only hope is this group of seemingly insane special police, BOPE. The story is about two recruits, Matias and Neto--two regular policemen who are sick of the corruption and are eventually recruited by BOPE. The leader of the group, Capitão Nascimento, looks to one of these men to eventually replace him because the job is literally driving him insane.

If you are looking for a nice film, then DO NOT watch this film. "Elite Squad" is gritty, nasty and very, very violent. Although the film is rated R, I think this rating is actually deceiving, as the film is more intense than most R films--with a lot of violence, torture and an attempted rape near the end that is horrifying. It is NOT a film for kids and it is hard to watch. This being said, it IS a well made film--sort of like a non-stop roller-coaster of a film. Realism...gritty realism is what makes this an excellent (but nasty) film. If you can handle it, then by all means watch it. Just don't say I didn't warn you.

The last three Brazilian movies I watched were "City of God", "Central Station" and "Elite Squad". Is it any wonder, then, that I plan never to visit Brazil?! I have no idea if these films are exaggerations of the cities, but all three depict a hellish war zone--not a place I'd ever want to see for myself. And, if the films ARE accurate, then I can't believe that the Olympics are going to be held there very soon! You think I am overreacting? See the films for yourself!

ELITE SQUAD is another top-notch Brazilian thriller following in the footsteps of CITY OF GOD (the two films share a writer, I believe). Although the storyline is completely different, the two films share plenty of stylistic similarities: the gritty, on-the-streets style filming, the realism, the multi-layered storytelling, the realistic and sympathetic characters, the hectic pace.

Needless to say that this is an excellent film that offers a thorough exploration of policing in Brazil and all of the violence and corruption that comes with it. ELITE SQUAD does tackle the menace of drug gangs and the like but that's not the sole focus here; instead we learn of the everyday corruption present in all aspects of the police force. The dialogue crackles with electricity and the performances are exemplary, particularly from Andre Ramiro, who plays my favourite character, a naive law student drawn into a dark and murky world.

Fizzing with energy and loaded with brutal violence, ELITE SQUAD is as good as it gets for a contemporary thriller and it's also one of those films that educates as well as entertains. Be warned, it pulls no punches. A sequel, ELITE SQUAD: THE ENEMY WITHIN follows, and inevitably I have to track it down.

It's 1997 Rio de Janeiro. Neto and Matias fire on a crowd of partying criminals. They are police disillusioned with the corruption. Captain Nascimento from the elite BOPE (Special Police Operation Battalion) lead his squad into battle. The movie goes back six months earlier. Neto and Matias are new recruits. The Pope is coming to Rio and BOPE has to clean up the slums.

I got really annoyed at the non-stop narration with the start of the movie. I also wish the actors playing Neto and Matias are more charismatic. The story is told in a disjointed fashion. There is an ultra-realism about the locations and the people. It is a violent reaction to the crime-ridden slums.