Once Upon a Time in Rio

The "favelas", or ghettos of Rio de Janeiro, are among the most miserable and dangerous in the world. Once Upon a Time... takes us inside the world of poverty, where gangs rule the streets and drug kingpins are lords.

But the film does more than portray human misery. It follows the life of a young man who sells hot dogs on the beach. Through an extensive flashback, we learn just how tough life is for kids who grow up in the slums...and how, no matter what, they will eventually get caught up in the vortex of violence.

The hero, who witnesses one brother getting shot and another going to jail, falls for a rich girl who lives near his hot dog stand in a high rise apartment that looks out over the ocean. The story, at once Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story, is engaging. We root for the lovestruck teens as they teeter on the edge of tragedy and do a cross-cultural dance.

The outcome? No spoiler, of course! But suffice it to say that it is darn tough for anyone, black or white, rich or poor, to stay clear of the battles in the streets.

Want to get inside another cuture? Watch this engaging flick! It's the safest way to visit Rio...no one in his right mind goes there in person.