Gripping story with well-crafted characters

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

One of those movie experiences that is so good it makes you realize you've been grading everything else on a curve.

"Rodrigo D: No Futuro" is one of those films that doesn't necessarily aspire to be one of the greatest films you've ever seen but it has that one special quality that endures and stays with you after seeing it. I've seen several films through the years, dealing with many realities and outcomes, and lately was avoiding similar topics dealing with poverty, crime, harsh realities due to the fact you'll always get the same scenario of despair, brutal murders and stuff. To me, that trend was tiring already and wasn't adding much to me. This film, however, made an impact with me. Having never seen a film from Colombia, this was my first experience, it left me very impressed and hooked through the whole thing, and I was able to take a different perspective on things, examine how similar Brazil and Colombia were and are even today. I couldn't stop thinking about it and that's the kind of effect you expect from movies, specially from ones you expect more of the same. Víctor Gaviria's first feature film revolves around the title character (nicely played by then newcomer Ramiro Meneses), a teenage boy who dreams of forming a punk rock band. Problem is: this is 1988, he lives in the Medellín slums and there's no other interesting alternative for anyone except to join the crime world. Maybe that's not entirely accurate because Rodrigo gets offered some job by his father but he doesn't go. He prefers to stick with his loyal mates, all of them who are into punk music, play some music here and there but mostly focus in stealing motorcycles, cars and consuming drugs. In between crimes and music, Rodrigo and his friends go through life just finding ways to get easy money and escape from authorities, always having to find different hideaways. Here's a film that presents life as it is. Far from giving us a character who faces obstacles to fulfill a dream and building up to something, the story focus more about his reality, the environment surrounding him and how the choices for a life change are so narrow yet so invisible to Rodrigo and his mates. But since they're limited to a place that only presents them the bad side of everything they make the best they can with that: if not usually robbing innocent people, they're teasing each other or making poor music performances...but it's the best they got. My favorite scene from the picture is in fact one of those "poor" performances. After a lousy audition from some punks, Rodrigo and one friend decide to make a small jam session: Rodrigo in the drums and vocals and his mate playing the guitar, singing some bits. That was the highest point of the film in terms of seeing, without any other kind of explanation or a line of dialogue, why music is so important to them. The sense of liberty, release and complete abandon of all society rules, for that brief moment is what brings the characters closer to the dream or at least to some new reality that makes it worth living. That's what punk rock is all about besides the rebellion; in fact, those characters have a lot more to rebel against society than the actual punk creators.Gaviria's film is a near-perfect film - sure, there's some errors at times, characters that come and go and we don't know exactly who they are. But I believe he made a movie that echoed life with its uncertainties, problems, conflicts and misery. The closing credits is a depressive statement on that, when he dedicates the film to four actors who were murdered in between the film's making and its release, all of them dead before reaching their 20's. That's the fact that actually got me the most, remembering everything those characters went through, their stories and friendship and then...life's thrown back at you in such a devastating way, a statement that defines the picture almost in a hopeless way. But not completely. As evidenced by the prominent soundtrack, the film features music from many Colombian punk rock bands (the main theme "Dinero" is unforgettable). So, even in that unending state of despair there was some way out. And that's what Rodrigo believes. A way to leave the crime/drugs world behind and also the talks of his family thinking he's no good.Besides having a title character with the same name as me, another thing that hooked me (later on as I discovered) is the film's full title. Due to proximity of languages, I've always interpreted "No Futuro" as if being "Rodrigo D: In the Future". But looking out for the English version I came to realize that it's actually "No Future", which seems more appropriate due to the nature of the film and the punk aspects (Sex Pistols, baby). But with this title play or lack of translation here, it made me appreciate it even more because for one particular moment you can imagine what's the road Rodrigo will travel in and what possible outcome audiences will like to see it happening. 9/10

Rodrigo D is not the best film ever made, it even has some glitches and in the version that I watched a character gets murdered in two different scenes (a confusing screw up). But this is what makes the film so authentic, the actors are natural residents of the slums basically acting themselves, and in reality many die before the movie is even featured. The slums are just a labyrinth of houses made from whatever material, and people just seem to walk from the steps to the roofs thanks to its disorganized assembly. Many of the rooftops are bare; this was to continue building in the future and rent the subsequent floors, but most roofs remained bare for the coming years. Pure authenticity portraying the internal feelings most higher classes and foreigners take for cold blooded assassins.If you are having a hard time understanding the scenes, or are looking for the movie online to watch with English subtitles, there's a good article post on Hubpages with the entire movie explained in English. Its called: "Rodrigo D No Futuro Complete Movie Online and Critic Review (with English subtitles)"

There is no linear story to be found in this documentary style film from director Victor Gaviria, so fans of typical mainstream style films probably will not like this, very important film. "Rodrigo D. No Futuro" is basically a glimpse into the lives of a group of Medellin teenagers, living a pointless existence. With no opportunity for work, or escape, they spend their days hanging out in the streets, drinking, and sometimes robbing people who they see as being in a better position than themselves. Never having money unless they rob someone or sell some stolen goods, they have nothing, and nothing to lose. Rodrigo, according to his sister, is a bum, with no ambition, and no purpose in life. This is not really true, as he does have one dream, and that is to start a punk band. To do this, he needs a set of drums. Rodrigo is a likable character, and we want this guy to somehow realize his dream, to get his drums, to form the band, and to possibly find the way out of a bleak situation. But as the film goes on, we see that this will not be, for any of the young people in this place. As far as a story goes, that is pretty much it. The director, rather than casting professional actors, instead used real teenagers, from the barrio in which this is filmed. Of all the kids featured here, only the main actor, Ramiro Meneses continued to make films after this one. Four of the others died shortly after completion, murdered some say, because of their involvement with this film. I believe that fact makes this movie all the more important, as these guys should not be forgotten, and their stories and lives should reach the attention of as many people as possible. Everyone turns in great and powerful performances. There are scenes of the kids interacting with their families and friends, and although they have so little in the way of material things, they do seem to have some feeling of family in their community, as everyone lives so close to each other. The landscape of the environment is that of a brutal, treeless urban desert, with the hot Colombian sun forever beating down, adding to the general feeling of hopelessness that this film has. There are no artistic camera angles, no scenes of typical artistic merit, and I believe this to be intentional. The tone and style simply reflects the lives of these teenagers. Some complain that it is unfocused, and that nothing happens in the course of it's 90 minute running time. But that is the point, to show lives with no focus or direction, or future. Rodrigo D. has a small cult following among punk rockers, and for good reason. There is some good street punk music throughout the movie, and the main characters are punks, listening to and wearing t-shirts of bands like Sex Pistols and Exploited. And there are so many great scenes, like the band rehearsal in the hills, and 'Little John's' funeral, and the scenes of Rodrigo arguing with his sister, or his dad, who is forever trying to talk some sense into his rebellious son. And Rodrigo is forever banging his drumsticks on walls, and everywhere else, always trying to get those drums. But he never does, there is no happy ending. I recommend this film to people who are interested in looking beyond their own lives and worlds, to see other cultures, and to understand their struggles and dreams. Unfortunately this is a hard title to find, but if you get the chance, see this special film.

I f you are into a nice and safe Hollywood style of film like ¨City of God¨were poverty is cool, with cosmopolitan bourgeois actors like Seu Jorge, and there is in the end a happy ending (not to mention social commentary 25 plus years after the said incident...pretty cowardly), then please do not watch Rodrigo D: No Futuro. Mature ten, perhaps twenty years and see it then. The title of the film precedes what one should expect of the structure in the film....¨no future¨. There is no concept of time in this film which is why it is filmed in an aimless manner. ¨Pulp Fiction¨came out in 1994 and it was championed because it disturbed a traditional notion of time, BUT ¨Rodrigo D¨came out in 1990 (1988, in fact but released in 1990) and the conception of time or better said timelessness in the film is by far much more important than that of ¨Pulp Fiction¨. What is of key importance in the film is the final scenes when one is led to believe that the protagonist Rodrigo has committed suicide and then time is cut back, so we think or are made to question, to a scene that we think already happened: the murder of a punk by three bored street kids. The murder of the punk is presented in this ¨cut-back¨from the point of view of the victim where, after being shot what he (we) see is a body dangling in the trees, going no-where. We do not know if it is alive or dead, we can only assume that it is Rodrigo D's body just there, as if without a past and stagnant and, therefore, with no future. This movie is not glamorous, which is what makes it what it is. There are no John Travoltas. All of the actors were real street kids; Gaviria erases here the line between documentary and fiction and throws out the window the notion of the script, literally (rodigo jumps, remember). And this film as i mentioned above is not cowardly like¨City of God¨. It was filmed in the actual neighborhood where it is supposed to take place and not in some studio made to look like a beautiful Brazilian favela. The kids in the movie lived in this neighborhood and unfortunately due too their screen exposure four, to my knowledge, were singled out for execution for participating in social commentary of the present time. They were killed before reaching the age of 20 for being in this film. This movie really anticipates the acclaimed American film ¨Kids¨by Larry Clark except, again, the film ¨kids¨used actors who wanted to be mainstream actors, probably of the middle classes. ¨City of God¨ takes place 30 some years prior to the film's release, typical of the Hollywood political rule. Lastly, if it should be compared then at least in attitude it should be compared to ¨repo man¨, not because ¨repo man¨is as important but because both contain a certain aspects of Punk (when punk had just died) which is practically impossible to depict to-day. As for Punks who were swastikas, try Sid Vicious, New Order, and Joy Division. The taking of a fascist symbol and twisting its meaning by wearing it in degrading form just too annoy the REAL Fascist AT HEART was a punk specialty. do your homework.