In 2002, Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles brought the world “Cidade de Deus” (“City of God”), a spectacular, riveting and often shocking look at life in the shantytowns, or favelas, of Rio de Janeiro. The film introduced viewers to life in these poor villages, giving them a heart-rending glimpse of the meagerness, the difficulty and, above all, the violence that pervades there. Images of gangs of elementary school-age boys, killing while laughing with glee, scored themselves on the minds of all who watched Meirelles’ masterpiece. The film was a revelation, simultaneously crafting a brilliant movie and showing the world a side of life they may have never imagined.

“Cidade dos Homens” (“City of Men”), the follow-up to the 2002 shocker, takes a different approach to exploring life in the favelas. While drug deals and gang violence are still a major theme, they are not the focus of the film as they were in “City of God.” Instead, they provide a backdrop to a more intimate, personal story about two friends dealing with becoming men in a place where people often don’t see adulthood.

The story centers on Acerola, or Ace — played by Douglas Silva — and Laranjinha, or Wallace, played by Darlan Cunha. The two are best friends who have been inseparable since childhood and are both turning 18. Each character faces this coming of age differently: Wallace sets out to find his long-lost father, while Ace attempts to come to grips with his own fatherhood and accept responsibility for his young son. As the two search for their own answers — and as a gang war tears their favela apart behind them — Ace and Wallace encounter a secret that threatens to destroy the friendship they have shared for so long.

Even from a brief synopsis of the plot, it can be seen that “City of Men” is a much different movie than “City of God”: it is a softer story, quieter and more interested in exploring character than horrifying the viewer. Its overarching themes are not those of bloodshed and lawlessness, but those of fatherhood, the community of the favelas and the resilience of hope. Put simply, “City of Men” leaves those who watch it with a sense of optimism and humanity not seen in “City of God.”

Humanity is what separates “City of Men” from “City of God,” and humanity is what prevents it from ever being the kind of earth-shattering movie “City of God” was. “City of Men” is a story about friends and fathers, while “City of God” was a story about everyone killing everyone else; the first can simply never make the kind of impact the second can. Ultimately, though, “City of Men” is not trying to be the kind of movie “City of God” is: it is a companion piece, attempting to be a more intimate look at a pervasive societal problem, and it accomplishes that goal with flying colors. Unfortunately for “City of Men,” being such a piece forever condemns the movie to the mire of “good” cinema. “City of Men” is a good movie, but it is not, and can never be, a great movie. For the rest of its existence, “City of Men” will be compared to its predecessor, and the comparison will almost never be favorable.

That said, “City of Men” is a good movie. Douglas Silva and Darlan Cunha give rich, mature performances, and director Paulo Morelli and cinematographer Adriano Goldman combine sweeping shots of Brazil’s beauty with frantic, shaky scenes of street fighting to impart a complete and stunning image of life in the favelas. Everybody involved in the creation of “City of Men” has done everything right, and the result is a beautiful depiction of the friendship and love at the core of a hysterical world. “City of Men” can never be “City of God,” but it is still a tremendous film, and that’s all that really matters.