Pixote: Hector Babenco’s hard-hitting, brutal film tells the trajectory of a young boy as he is sent to a correctional facility for minors, and how the corrupt structure transforms him from a comparatively harmless kid into a hardened criminal. Both halves are very powerful, but the second half drags quite a bit. Famously using mostly non-professional actors for the roles of the many minors, the film has a very realistic feel. The downside is that the acting is uneven; Jorge Julião, as a cross-dressing kid on the verge of (legal) adulthood, is the best of the bunch in a role that is trickier than most in the film; Fernando Ramos da Silva plays the protagonist, and he has a great face, but his acting chops are not all that convincing. The adults, however, are solid; Jardel Filho plays the quietly brutal reformatory overseer, and Marília Pêra plays a prostitute who gets close to the gang. Cinematographer Rodolfo Sanches’ camerawork is instrumental in giving the film its realistic tone, as is art director Clovis Bueno’s work. Composer John Neschling’s musical score is interesting but at times heavy-handed.