the two friends, just turned 18, for the most part are living lives extraneous to the gang warfare going on around them.

while ace is battling with the task of coming to terms with premature parenthood, his friend wallace is seeking out a relationship with his own absent father.

a more conventionally structured film than the rustic, art house style of city of god, city of men shows a somewhat less horrifically violent perspective of rio favela life, presenting a slightly more moralizing view.

nevertheless when a menacing gang war breaks out between the chief drug lord in their community madrugadao (wallace's cousin) and his rival nefasto, we dishearteningly see swarms of underage children roaming the streets armed with guns.