‘Devil’ a daring movie worth attending; ‘City of God’ a good

watch

‘Daredevil’ packs action, effects with character

What’s separates “Daredevil” from fellow comic book movie

“Spider-Man” are the special effects. “Daredevil” provides great

effects, but they don’t stand out and distract from the movie and its

characters. While “Spider-Man” wins out in terms of its wonderful

scene-stealing effects, the effects did just that -- stole the

scenes.

But perhaps what makes it easier for “Daredevil” writer and

director Mark Steven Johnson -- best known for bringing “Simon Birch”

to the screen -- is that the character doesn’t spin webs, climb walls

or really do anything too out of the ordinary. He does jump off

buildings, dive toward the ground and slide down banisters and

anything else left at a 45-degree angle along walls, but he doesn’t

fly or run any faster than you or me.

What Daredevil, played well by Ben Affleck -- who seems more

appropriate as this character than as Jack Ryan in last summer’s “Sum

of All Fears” -- is a blind superhero bent on revenge who also likes

to protect people.

As a young lad, Matt Murdoch was riding his skateboard recklessly

-- he discovered something disturbing while taking a shortcut -- and

his eyes ended up on the wrong end of a toxic liquid. From that

point, he was blind, but with a kick: His other senses became

heightened. His senses work too well, and he resorts to a

sensory-deprivation tank at bedtime.

What makes him turn to crime-fighting, other than bullies picking

on him while with and without sight, is a combination of vengeance

and heart. We know he cares for people because, by day, Murdoch’s a

mostly unpaid lawyer who only takes on clients he thinks are

innocent. This doesn’t sit well with his law partner, played well by

the funny, as usual, Jon Favreau (“Swingers” and “Made”).

Anyway, Murdoch’s boxer father was dubbed “The Devil,” so he

decides to steal from that in coming up with a costume (though,

unlike in “Spider-Man,” we don’t see him take to the drawing board).

So, at night, he perches himself on New York City buildings listening

for crime and then gets busy, complete with fists and his

well-equipped walking stick.

Daredevil spends all of the latter half of the movie focusing on

revenge against the city’s Kingpin (Michael Clarke Duncan of “The

Green Mile”) and his hired mercenary Bullseye (Colin Farrell of every

movie these days, including “Minority Report,” “The Recruit” and the

upcoming “Phone Booth”). Farrell speaks about 20 lines while hurling

anything from paper clips to knives into his victims.

Jennifer Garner of television’s “Alias” plays love interest

Elektra who, thanks to years of training in martial arts, can also

kick butt. Twice, she takes on Daredevil.

The film takes a little while to set itself up, but it’s worth it.

And the movie’s definitely worth watching overall. It’s as good as

February movies ever get. And there’s some romance with Garner, so

it’s a decent date movie.

Although darker in tone than “Spider-Man” -- people die a bit more

-- the movie carries a PG-13 rating.

* JAMES MEIER is the Daily Pilot’s city editor.

‘City of God’ shows brutal truth of Brazilian slums

“City of God” is brutal and violent, but it is so much more than a

mindless exploitation film. The movie traces the growth of vicious

gangs and the simultaneous destruction of social structure and

decency in a Brazilian slum across three decades.

The name of the slum is City Of God, which is ironic considering

the harsh nature of life there. The tales of many of the city’s

inhabitants are told throughout the film, but the two main characters

are Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues) and Li’l Ze (Leandro Firmino da

Hora).

The film follows their contrasting, but constantly interweaving,

paths from childhood to adulthood. At the same time, the slum itself

grows from a dusty settlement of tiny huts into a crowded city of

apartment buildings.

The film is extremely flashy in its cinematography and editing.

But the director (Fernando Meirelles) doesn’t let the style overwhelm

the substance. The filmmakers unblinkingly show the horror caused by

uneducated, amoral kids with access to guns

The volatile Li’l Ze is the worst of these. He leaves a path of

death and devastation in his wake. A few decent people, such as

Rocket and Knockout Ned, struggle to maintain their morals with

varying success against the unrelenting pull of the criminal life.

Poverty, racism, official corruption, lack of education, drugs and

difficulty getting legitimate jobs are all covered as part of the

problems plaguing the slum.

Toward the end of the film, “City Of God” drags on a little long.

In a few scenes, director Meirelles and writer Braulio Mantovani are

strangely ham-fisted in making their points. These are minor flaws,

however, compared to the strengths of the film.

While “City Of God” is set in Brazil, the film is universal in

showing the unending cycle of violence caused by drug money and guns

in the poverty-stricken slums of the world.

* TRICIA BEHLE lives in Newport Beach and works as a software

validator.