Like City of God and Bus 174 before it, Favela Rising is about as raw as it comes. This is not an apologetic film, but rather one that looks for the bright side in a bleak situation.

| Mar 22, 2007

... an uneven, spasmodic film.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Aug 13, 2006

[The directors] junk up the telling of Sa's story with overworked editing, unnecessary graphic clutter and a confounding habit of using dubbed-over music on the live concert footage.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Aug 8, 2006

A remarkable story of transformation and challenge on several levels, some completely unexpected.

| Original Score: 4.5/5 | Aug 3, 2006

Elevated by fantastic performance footage of Sa and his young protgs singing, dancing and rhythmically banging on cans, plastic bottles or anything else that can be fashioned into a drum -- and a cultural revolution.

Full Review | Aug 3, 2006

As a piece of documentary filmmaking, it's more a matter of excellent intentions than effective technique--a potentially powerful short doc stretched into a theatre length yawner.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 26, 2006

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 15, 2006

Favela Rising can't seem to find its center.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Jul 14, 2006

An inspirational portrait of an unwanted kid who brought culture to a world that had known only violence.

| Original Score: B | Jul 13, 2006

Using a visual style of oversaturated colors that seem to leap off the screen, Mochary and Zimbalist offer an unforgettable portrait of the favelas, where young men openly polish their machine guns and a bullet-riddled body may lie around any corner.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Jul 7, 2006

You couldn't find a setting that's more hopeless than the crime-ridden slums of Rio de Janeiro, and yet Jeff Zimbalist and Michael Mochary tell a story that's unabashedly uplifting as well as emotionally raw.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Jul 6, 2006

Watching it all replayed is simply a life-changing experience.

| Original Score: 5/5 | Jul 6, 2006

There's a raw, edgy power to this documentary, which takes a distinctly positive approach to a difficult situation.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jun 6, 2006

Success depicted here is sweet and inspirational. But moviegoers may long for a dramatized, less narrated picture of the process involved.

| Jun 5, 2006

Matt Mochary and Jeff Zimbalist's documentary traces the history of Grupo Afro-Reggae, a community-based action group that arose in Vigario Geral, one of the notorious favelas (slums) that ring Rio de Janeiro.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Jun 2, 2006

All in all, the movement turned out to be a godsend for Rio natives, but the film is merely a pep rally.

Full Review | May 31, 2006

A daring and emotional documentary.

Full Review | May 31, 2006

An uplifting story that's well worth telling, but the directors rather lose sight of the wider sociological ramifications to iconise a figurehead whose courage is couched in almost miraculous terms.

| Original Score: 3/5 | May 27, 2006

Favela Rising is an important reminder of how human beings can unite to effect grass-roots social change.

| Original Score: 4/5 | May 27, 2006