This movie covers real-life events of the so-called Car-Wash operation, the largest corruption scandal and investigation taken place in Brazil's history. While it has certainly been an event worthy of being portrayed as a motion picture, there are two big problems with the premise of this movie:
- the operation is *still* under way, with recent developments completely invalidating and making a mockery of its title and tag-line (i.e., the premise that "No One Is Above the Law");
- the narrative is politicized and one-sided, through intentional omission and lack of depth;
The lopsidedness is not just a matter of whose perspective the plot is told from (which is obviously that of the "good guys" from the Federal Police). The problem is that the movie actively manipulates or omits facts, as an attempt to solidify the confirmation bias of its target audience (the right-wing Brazilian middle class). It also attempts to manipulate the perception of what really took place by those with little to no knowledge of the actual events.
There is a very complicated backstory, not only to the real-life Car Wash operation, but to the making of the movie itself, whose investors decided to remain anonymous. For example, actors had illegal access to classified information and to official police equipment for the purpose of "researching" for the movie. Is there any mention of the politically-charged statements and attacks on the "villain" character, which many of the portrayed police officers and prosecutors had made over time, even before the operation took place? Not at all, and that omission is intentional. Would it be relevant, had this operation taken place in the US, to let the audience know that a prosecutor indicting a Democrat politician is a heavy partisan of the Republican party? Not to the makers of this movie.
I am no fan of the main "villain" character, who happens to be a former President of Brazil and had a spectacular fall from grace, from his 80%+ approval rating right after leaving office, to being indicted and sentenced as part of the Car Wash operation.
The main sin of this movie is to pretend that a good fight against corruption, and not ruthless political warfare, was the biggest motivator of the actions by the portrayed "heroes".
Having witnessed over the last two years the relentless and scornful political machinations by part of the press, politicians, members of the police and judiciary in Brazil, into what amounts to one giant lawfare-tactics operation, it only makes one nervously laugh at the idea that "No One Is Above the Law" in Brazil of 2017.