Send a Bullet

Released Aug 17, 2007

1 hr. 25 min.

Documentary

List

80%

51 Reviews

Tomatometer

86%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Seen through the eyes of wealthy businessmen, corruption and class warfare beleaguer Brazilian society.

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Critics Consensus

The exciting and fast-paced documentary Manda Bala shows many sides of Brazil -- from the humorous and upbeat to the violent and disturbing.

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Audience Member

Could've been 4 stars were it not for the distracting use of the interpreters. Just use subtitles, please! Also, reviewer J.R. Jones said it best: "To address the economic inequality of teeming Sao Paulo, Brazil, documentary maker Jason Kohn has joined several loosely related topics into a sort of rhetorical doughnut, leaving a hole in the center where his thesis should be." Like, tell me more about the frogs. What?!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/09/23

Full Review

Audience Member

When the poor have no option they kidnap the rich. Investigating these kinds of kidnappings which are rampant in San Paolo, Brasil, Manda Bala traces these crimes to their root -- the cause of such contrasting poverty, corruption. Showing the effects of such traumatizing crime, interviewing plastic surgeons (need to reconstruct ears that are use to coerce families to pay ransoms), to politicians, to kidnapping squads, to even a kidnapper himself, Manda Bala is an in-depth, well made portrait of a problem in one of the biggest cities in the world today. Despite the film opening very confusingly (starting at a frog farm, then talking about political corruption, and then talking about kidnapping), things eventually connect together in the end, showing details of how crimes are not isolated, but connect to greater issues. This is a film you should see.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The best film i saw at The Sundance Film Festival. I loved it, a really great documentary.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Great documentary and good reason not to go to Brazil.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/09/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Fascinating documentary about crime and corruption!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Acorda Brasil!!! Quero ver um presidente da republica arrumar esse pais. Quero ver se existira um dia... um presidente da republica com muita dignidade e "aquilo roxo" para colocar prisao perpetua para politico e policial corruptos, acabar com a mordomia que os "homens de Brasilia" tem. Wake up Brazil! I want to see a president of the republic fix this country. Want to see a day ... when a president with great dignity and "that purple" to put life in prison for politicians and corrupt police, ending the stewardship that the "men of Brasilia" have.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

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David Fear

Time Out

Rated: 5/5

Nov 17, 2011

Full Review

Josh Rosenblatt

Austin Chronicle

Rated: 3/5

Oct 18, 2008

Full Review

J. R. Jones

Chicago Reader

To address the economic inequality of teeming Sao Paulo, Brazil, documentary maker Jason Kohn has joined several loosely related topics into a sort of rhetorical doughnut, leaving a hole in the center where his thesis should be.

Jan 4, 2008

Full Review

Felicia Feaster

Creative Loafing

[A] bizarre, often riveting film about contemporary Brazil.

Feb 3, 2020

Full Review

Fernando F. Croce

CinePassion

Less interested in analyzing So Paulo's place in the shaky Brazilian system than in jacking it up with shorthand, gawk-at-the-foreigners shocks

Aug 27, 2009

Full Review

Sarah Boslaugh

Playback:stl

Despite the seriousness of the topic, Manda Bala may be the most visually creative film you will see this year.

Rated: 9/10

Sep 19, 2008

Full Review

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Synopsis

Seen through the eyes of wealthy businessmen, corruption and class warfare beleaguer Brazilian society.

Director: Jason Kohn
Executive Producer: Julio DePietro
Distributor: City Lights Pictures
Production Co: Kilo Films, Whitest Pouring Films
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 17, 2007, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 8, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $120.5K