CITY OF DREAMS: Disturbing Drama Brings Awareness
Inspired by a true story, City of Dreams chronicles the journey of a Mexican boy whose dreams of becoming a soccer star are shattered when he’s smuggled across the border and sold to a sweatshop in downtown Los Angeles.
City of Dreams has one mission: to bring awareness to the very real horrors of child trafficking and it does that but with some asterisks. It’s very difficult to recommend this movie to an average movie goer as its purpose is to inform in an incredibly unsettling way. I mean, the film delves heavily into the world of child trafficking and everything that comes with that including being overworked in a sweatshop, shoved into a crowded living space, being tortured, and being sold to a sex trafficking ring by leather wearing Gal Gadot-looking scout. Nearly every aspect of this film is dour, dirty, and without hope.
I was unaware that this film was produced by the same people who released the film Sound of Freedom which features similar themes and was also heavily influential to Christian audiences. Having known that now, City of Dreams does go heavy on the Christian imagery even going so far as having our main character (named Jesus) endure a brutal flagellation at the hands of his captors in the same set up as Jesus did in The Passion of the Christ. Even his hands are handcuffed to a pedestal in the same manner. However, that’s as far as the imagery goes. The rest is a devastating experience.
Even worse are the cops within the film who are delegated to the “white savior” complex. Either these are the worst cops of every film ever made or the best. All their efforts are thwarted by higher ups and officials. The film even gets a bit murky with the ethics when we slowly discover that Jesus’ captors are actually victims of the system themselves. You can’t make us feel bad for a character who whipped a child bloody. You just can’t; try as they might. Also, the film is shot very haphazardly and even encompasses some extremely long takes with shaky camera work ala Alfonso Cuaron. Style wise, it jumps from a human drama to a Bourne Identity action flick with an impressive foot chase through the warehouse districts and alleyways of Los Angeles.
City of Dreams is a heartbreaking movie about the endurance of the human spirit when it is so shattered and broken; physically, mentally, and spiritually. It’s a difficult movie to recommend only because the audience is asked point blank to experience something so evil and so very real that it’ll make you uncomfortable. But that’s the importance of this movie. That’s its purpose: to bring awareness. As a film, it’s a dark drama and a well made thriller with scenes that’ll have you on the edge of your seat, even if its sole purpose is to put the main character through obstacles. Which is why I give City of Dreams—
3 Dresses out of 5
City of Dreams is now out in theaters and is Rated R for strong violence including child abuse, bloody images, language, some sexual material and partial nudity.