2008 Fall/Holiday Preview: #20. Elite Squad (Tropa De Elite)

#20. Elite Squad

Director/Writer: José Padilha and written by Padilha, Bráulio Mantovani and Rodrigo Pimentel 
Producers: Padilha and Marcos Prado (Bus 174).
Distributor: IFC First Take

The Gist: Based on the book by André Batista, Rodrigo Pimentel and Luiz Eduardo Soares, the movie, set in 1997, depicts the story of Captain Nascimento, a BOPE captain, who with the imminent birth of his first child, is determined to leave the battalion and find a safer position for the sake of his family, but first he must find a suitable replacement for him. At the same time, the movie focuses on two childhood friends, Matias and Neto, who become cadets in the military police, but become dismayed at the corruption surrounding them. Eventually, both Nascimento and the cadets’ paths intersect, when the captain hopes that one of the two may become the substitute he is eager to find, as both decide to join the BOPE.

Fact: Following the same path as Fernando Meirelles, Padilha is parlaying the international success of this picture into a future in Hollywood. The helmer is currently developing A Willing Patriot and Marching Powder. 

See It: Winner of the Golden Bear at the 08′ edition of the Berlin Film Festival, this title is definetely won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but it certainly adds more layers to notion of corruption among those with shields.    

Release Date/Status?: Limited release on September 19th.