Ugly....
I didn't think Lil Ze was so ugly. In fact, I thought he was more attractive than Knockout Ned. He has a great smile, even with those jutting canines. Do people really find him unattractive? Or is it just part of the plot/script?
shareI don't think Leandro Firmino is ugly either! More I less I think it's just the character. He's kinda cute actually and I love his voice/mannerisms. And of course his smile! So for me, on one level it doesn't ring completely true but he plays the part so well. Ze was socially awkward and not particularly attractive according to certain standards so it works.
I don't know about him being better looking than Knockout Ned because there's just something about Seu Jorge that I find super attractive but he's nowhere near as hideous as they were insinuating. I found Ze being considered ugly sort of simplified things where it didn't need it but then considering the pass Bene gets perhaps they were on to something. Then again Bene was quite charming in addition to his looks. Ze's social awkwardness was a much bigger issue, the fact that he didn't know how to make up for what he was lacking. He was quite ruthless so I would think his bigger problem was that people were scared of him. But of couse in movies scary has to equal ugly.
I would imagine that as likeable as Leandro seems to be in real life that it would be hard to find him unattractive. Even with Ze's behavior in the film Leandro the actor doesn't have one of those faces that repels. In my opinion he doesn't look particularly mean (except when he's pulling faces) so I'm starting to see just how much Leandro had to pull off in this film.
Long-ish answer but that's just something I've been thinking about.
Rest in Peace Lee Thompson Young. An angel gone too soon.
I agree, he wasn't ugly but he definitely had an ugly character.. A lot of 'bad guys' have charisma but he had no redeeming factors in that department.. The only person he ever seemed to be nice to or care about was Benny. I can't imagine he would be a particularly loving boyfriend!
shareHe isn't ugly and has a great smile. If you read the book Zé has a girlfriend, she's a good girl, doesn't go to parties or dresses flashy. She thinks highly of him. She leaves him because her family pressures her to do so. After the girlfriend and her family leave the favela and Bené dies, Zé becomes fixated with Mané Galinha's fiancee. Mané Galinha's girlfriend reminds Zé of his own girlfriend. Zé does have redeeming qualities, when he says he's going to do something he does it and he likes money.
shareLooking at City of God for the umpteenth time, I think Mané Galinha should've been played by Brazilian actor Rafael Zulu. Nothing wrong with Seu Jorge, just think he's a bit old to be playing Knockout Ned.
shareI do think that it is a fair statement to make, that Seu Jorge was a little too old (or looked a little too old) even though I thought he was fine in the role as far as age is concerned. I'm not too familiar with Rafael Zulu, but I googled him and he's a little too young for the role no? He would have been 19 when they were filming. I don't think he would have worked because I got the impression the character was closer to Seu's actual age (31) than 19. Maybe not, but at least in his mid 20s. Leandro was 23 when this was filmed and whoever played Knockout Ned had to pull off being older than Lil Ze. Plus Seu just has that magnetic charisma in this role so it works for me.
share