Looking at the first couple of shots of the movie there is nothing even remotely said about each of the characters but there is enough implied to make this film a classic. It starts of with a family about to leave their son in the care of his grandfather. So that he can spend some time with him and also watch the upcoming Football World Cup with granddad. But this is just a surface reason created by the parents who want to flee the country for some political reasons. Their son is told that they are off on a Vacation.

In the guise of a Vacation the director explores a poignant coming of age story of this boy. He breaths life into the war torn streets of Brazil. It is a point of view that is at times closed to the story but leaves endless possibilities to the viewer. It is a trait i have grown found with very few directors. They just supply with just enough info to make our own judgments and assumptions. The film is also a period piece set during the 1970 World Cup when Pele was the King of Football. The parallel used in this film is by far one of the greatest tributes to football.

There is an internal war raging in the boys mind of why his parents left him here. It is revealed that his Grandfather passed away before he had arrived. He is taken in by the Jewish man who mistakes him for a Jew. Then starts another part of the story that is totally uncalled for. The boy begins this unconventional relationship with this old man with very little dialog. The attributes to the scene are heightened by the timely performance of this boy. Michel Joelsas is a total riot in this film. He causes enough for this Jewish man to make him realize the consequences of taking this estranged boy. But it takes a while for these two characters to warm up to each and become their own. The World Cup forms the necessary catalyst for this relationship to take shape.

But the boys meets various other kids who create different character traits in him. The girlfriend of the Goal Keeper, Hannah the little girl who shows him the world for what it is. It leaves a huge lasting impression by the end of this movie. The film takes various forms of childhood angst and pleasant suffering. It give a emotional sheen that is not easy to rub off. The added parallel of Brazil going through the World Cup almost encompasses the whole year in a nutshell. It creates a time capsule that is so well written and beautifully enacted. A film that we can just go back to any time we want. The director has also taken care to bring this story back to life with all the continuity issues that usually creep up with such stories.

But this story rests on this boy who shows the world back then threw his innocent eyes. It gives a really clear image of the going on without any sarcasm or cynicism that has plagued cinema drawn during this time. It will remain a timeless piece of cinema and one that will remain with you even after it ends.

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