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Elite Squad 2 review
:. Director: José Padilha
:. Starring: Wagner Moura, André Ramiro
:. Running Time: 1:55
:. Year: 2011
:. Country: Brazil
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The follow-up of José Padilha's hugely successful favella crime thriller starts with a bang: a group of inmates lead by their menacing leader (singer/actor Seu Jorge - The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou) is rioting, killing gang rivals and taking hostages. BOPE, the elite military police force under the command of Lt. Colonel Nascimento (Wagner Moura) and Captain Matias (André Ramiro), storms the penitentiary and executes them, right in front of a human right activist. As a result of a scandal, Nascimento and Matias get transferred to other agencies where they will be confronted with corruption.
While I wasn't sure what to expect from Elite Squad 2, as I hadn't embraced its prequel as much as everybody else, I must admit having been pretty surprised as writer/director José Padilha delivered a pretty nervous film that grabs you from the beginning to the end.
Slick and intense, without going over-the-top, the film is reminiscent of those vicious Italian crime flicks from the 70's, which were usually featuring a lonely crusader fighting a corrupted system, whether it's in Rome or Palerme; Corrupted systems are actually the central theme of Elite Squad 2, relegating the war against gangs in the background. Mr. Padilha refers openly to this theme several times, through voice-over, an approach that emphasizes you are not in presence of a very subtle work. While he doesn't avoid a few clichés from mafia movies either, his tight direction keeps you enough on the edge that you do not have the time to notice the few flaws of his film. Mr. Padilha also uses this sequel to rebuff the critics who had assimilated Elite Squad to a fascist work. The presence of a human right activist in a pivotal role, raising Nascimento's own son with anti-violence values, is here to show he doesn't embrace police brutality even if it makes for good thrills onscreen.
What makes Elite Squad 2 works, compared to its Hollywood counterparts is not only its exotic and dark setting - Rio and its favellas - but also the restrained performances of its actors, most particularly Wagner Moura who doesn't look like your typical tough hero but radiates with pugnacity. The fact that this story is somewhat inspired by real-life events emphasizes its impact, making it a sort of cross between documentary, gangster film and western. It is then easy to understand the appeal the Elite Squad saga can have, following the footsteps of City of God. This is an action film disguised as a foreign film, which allows you to succumb to your guilty pleasures without feeling ashamed about it.
Fred Thom
 Movie Reviews: Brazilian Films
Movie Reviews: from 1998 to 2011
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