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How entertaining? ★★★★★
Thought provoking? ★★★☆☆ 9 August 2011
This article is a review of ELITE SQUAD: THE ENEMY WITHIN. |
“To people like me, war keeps the mind busy”, Roberto Nascimento (Wagner Moura).
ELITE SQUAD and its sequel ELITE SQUAD: THE ENEMY WITHIN are like BATMAN BEGINS and THE DARK KNIGHT respectively. ELITE SQUAD and BATMAN BEGINS are engaging but flawed set-up films; where it feels like the directors are establishing their worlds, while also finding their technical feet. Their follow-ups are also akin. They share an unexpected confidence, and unleash visual and storytelling bravado, analysing what it is to live in a modern city. THE ENEMY WITHIN is an extraordinary piece of work, which keeps building to such a degree that I was willing it not to drop the ball. It doesn’t.
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You do not need to have seen the original to appreciate this. ELITE SQUAD (2007) is about the war on drugs, showing violence from the dealers and the cops. It was documentarian José Padilha’s move into fiction filmmaking. His BUS 174 was powerful and upsetting. However, the 2007 feature felt sub-Paul Greengrass, all shaky-camera and fast editing. We were in pseudo-documentary bullsh*t territory, which I find particularly irksome. How many docs do you see like that? THE ENEMY WITHIN marks a massive step-up, with shakiness and editing toned down; instead creating energy and heart-pounding moments using choreography, and stylish but unintrusive camera-work.
“You pay them for protection from them”, witness.
This panache would be all for nothing if it wasn’t anchored to excellent storytelling. The filmmakers’ vitriol at the corruption from politicians, police and the media is conveyed with skill. The film is not only epic, juggling multiple protagonists and ideas, but also intimate – the characters go beyond just ciphers and are believable in their motivations and reactions. To reveal too much about the plot, would spoil your enjoyment. You should know that this is a symphony of rage, and a contender for my favourite film of the year.
“A cop doesn’t pull the trigger by himself”, Nascimento.
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