When watching Elite Squad: The Enemy Within (in Portuguese with English subtitles) it’s impossible not to be reminded of a speech given by Kevin Costner at the end of JFK (1991). His words about people believing “justice” should “come into being automatically” are not far from the core idea present in Jose Padilha’s action/political opus. I must confess my lack of familiarity with the original 2007 film. Yet, rest assured, I will be seeking it out very soon.

Wagner Moura reprises the role of Roberto Nascimento, a Lieutenant Colonel in the Armed Military Police Force, based around the slums of Brazil. (Not having seen this actor before, I was most impressed with his range and emotional trajectory over the course of the story.) He comes to believe less and less in the militia overseeing the slums. The latter are killing off the drug lords, only to take their place. Their motivation: money and power.

What’s most admirable about Padilha’s direction is that he doesn’t tip-toe around the violent acts nor does he bludgeon the audience with needless, gory close-ups. His approach dictates a certain pace and energy that involves editing for the most subtle, compact result. Editor Daniel Rezende (City of God) does a remarkable job, balancing political exposition with action. The use of voice-over can dominate certain scenes, but never indulgently so. Without some kind of informed commentary on the various goings-on, chaos and confusion would be rife.

The performances are so grounded in the moment-to-moment reality of what is going on that speech and behaviour resemble the spontaneous feel of everyday existence. It’s rare to see a hand-held camera shot that doesn’t look and feel jittery to the point of motion sickness. Luckily, DP Lula Carvalho straightens the line of sight before it becomes a direct homage to Paul Greengrass, a proponent of the technique on his Jason Bourne films.

Music appears absent for the most part, an indication that the director seems comfortable in expanding as well as enhancing the organic sound palette. Gun shots echo realistically, the script (by Braulio Mantovani and Padilha) moves with succinct grace and no moment feels wasted.

Without coming across at all like a documentary, Elite Squad: The Enemy Within carries a distinctive air of authenticity and sharp, observational drama. As of this writing, the film apparently holds the record for most successful box office return in Brazil, surpassing the heavyweight Avatar (2009).

(Released by Variance Films; not rated by MPAA.)