DUBBED 'the Brazilian Goodfellas' City of God follows a young boy called Rocket as he tells his story about the gang-infested slums of Rio de Janeiro.

The insight is chilling from the first scene where gun-toting pre-teen gangsters are seen chasing a chicken to slaughter.

And the disturbing scenes continue until a shootout with a rival gang turns into a bloodbath at the very end.

But Rocket is different and aspires to be a photographer rather than a drug-runner like so many of his cohorts and his brother who was shot dead by gang leader L'il Ze.

Ze, a ruthless killer since childhood, soon runs the whole hood along with the brains of the operation Benny.

All's fine in the ghetto until Benny meets a girl and the ugly Ze can't - a rape scene follows and the number of Ze's enemy's escalate.

This film is violent, gory and shocking, which could put off a few viewers.

It is also shot in Portuguese with English subtitles - which will probably put off a few more.

But if you can stomach it, watch it, because it's a piece of cinematic history - just picture the Little Rascals cast smoking pot, snorting cocaine and armed to the teeth.

MS