As a tale of young teens struggling against corrupt forces within a culture of poverty, 'Trash' is a captivating tale of determination, ingenuity, and moral vision. The production values are particularly high here, which I can't help but consider against the squalid conditions that are portrayed. The story moves along with lots of twists and a complex set of clues to unraveling a mystery, giving the kids credit for their intelligence.There's always facile criticisms to be made of wealthy white movie studios shooting films that exploit "Third World" concerns, so if your politics demand such sanctimony, you should turn to homegrown dramas that you can claim as authentic. If you want a well-made adventure offering hope to children who earn deliverance on their own within realistic circumstances, there are not many better than this.

The common images of Brazil are soccer/football, Carnaval, the Amazon rainforest, the beaches, and Christ the Redeemer. A less flattering image of Latin America's largest country is the favelas, tightly packed ghettos full of people ignored by society. Stephen Daldry's "Trash" looks at some teenage inhabitants of the favelas who are digging through garbage one day when they find a wallet that could upset local politics. Not surprisingly, they become targets of a merciless police force.This is what one might call the real Brazil. Much like Fernando Meirelles's "City of God", "Trash" shows what life is like for a large portion of Brazil's population. When the boys cross into the downtown, one can see a sharp contrast between this part of town and the slums where the boys live. One of Lula's goals was eliminating hunger, but he and Rousseff weakened their legacies by demolishing favelas to make room for sports stadiums (and it's all but certain that the Olympic stadium will never get used after the games next year).This is a different turn for Daldry after his past few movies. Although "Billy Elliott" also dealt with class issues, "The Hours" focused more on gender issues (I haven't seen "The Reader" or "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close"). I'd say that Martin Sheen's long-time political activism makes him the right person for the role of the priest servicing the favela. All in all, it's a really good movie. I recommend it.

When I saw that Stephen Daldry directed this it was enough to put me off watching it. However...it's well put together, well shot, edited, scripted and the young leads are superb. The poverty porn is problematic, the shots of the waste dump are aesthtically pleasing, the shots of the favela likewise. Films and other texts like this one can serve to assuage those of us living in relatively privileged conditions that actually for people living in abject poverty, well, you know, life isn't so bad at all. There's a stronger sense of community and people get on and look after one another. If you want a proper, serious, grown up film with a Latin American spin about poverty and what it does to people then look elsewhere to Pixote from 1981 or Luis Bunuels's Los Olvidados from 1946. If there's a better film than Los Olvidados on the subject out there I'd like to know what it is. All that said, I was entertained by this, I liked the points the film made about corruption on the part of the police and politicians, I liked the way it foregrounded street children as characters. Another more serious film about street children is Ali Zouaua made about 2002 in Morocco featuring a cast of Casablancan street urchins. Trash is a great movie to show young teens to get them thinking about global issues or as an introduction to world cinema but for serious social commentary one needs to look elsewhere.

When I saw the trailer of this movie it did not appeal to me. The movie seemed like a common Hollywood action movie, but after seeing it I know that this movie has a lot to offer. The story begins when Raphael (at the age of 14) finds a wallet in the garbage and shows it to his two friends. Once the boys find out how much the wallet is wanted by the police they decide to unravel the mystery behind it, using clues from the wallet. What follows is a fascinating journey full of action, humor and drama through the slums of Rio de Janeiro. You see the raw side of the city, it feels like you are there. Also the music puts you in the right vibe. The solidarity, perseverance and the struggle to achieve justice, gives you a real connection with the three boys. Slowly all the pieces fit together while it builds up to a thrilling end. This movie seems to have a clear message to give. It makes you think about justice and well-being, but at the same time it is an easy watching feel good movie. This movie has it all!