BETTER MUS' COME seems to be Jamaica's answer to CITY OF GOD, a sprawling, street-based epic of gang violence and warring factions during a tumultuous period of the country's history. It's a familiar effort that can't hold a candle to the excellent Brazilian film which it copies, but it may be worth a look for fans of gritty, realistic thrillers.
The setting is the 1970s, when politics in the country took on a violent turn as each politician faction spawned its own gang. Gun violence and brutal beatings are the order of the day here, and at times BETTER MUS' COME manages to capture the hand-held intensity of CITY OF GOD, but overall it's a far cry from the sheer quality of that film. I just didn't particularly care about any of the characters, even though they're drawn from life, and the violent antics of the storyline left me cold.
The setting is the 1970s, when politics in the country took on a violent turn as each politician faction spawned its own gang. Gun violence and brutal beatings are the order of the day here, and at times BETTER MUS' COME manages to capture the hand-held intensity of CITY OF GOD, but overall it's a far cry from the sheer quality of that film. I just didn't particularly care about any of the characters, even though they're drawn from life, and the violent antics of the storyline left me cold.
