What a waste of my time!!!

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

I cannot agree with the gentleman from Mannheim finding this movie exploitive and staged. Sure there were many scenes "staged" but certainly the "Truth" of it all spoke for itself. A better title perhaps would have been "Hell on Earth and the human condition", but that's OK. Mumbai, Moscow, Mexcico City and New York City, they all lend themselves for the study of the every day, for the every day poor and wretched. I have lived in Delhi for almost 3 years, but seeing Mumbai in this movie, in this way, was almost worse than being there myself. But in the end, after having seen the madness of the three other places, India seemed almost harmless again. Every viewer brings his own history, prejudices, expectations and stories to a new movie, but I am sure this one will really make a lasting impression.

From my point of view Michael Glawogger is one of the biggest documentary maker of the last years. He approach people all over the world with respect and similitude of conditions. He does not make a show of reality, he is in love with reality and this love he shares with us. His documentary is an enormous project, but even the magnitude of the project, Glawogger is not pretentious at all. He does not put him self in the film as the documentaries "reality show" fashion, where the hero "documentary maker" put his live on risk or do weird stuff with his body, to see the underground of prostitution in Thailand etc. You can see that he develop a friendship and understanding for humanity without manipulation. From my point of view Megacities is not only a documentary but also a piece o art. And a completely different style of Philip Glass

well, i hear the criticism about paying the subjects, exploitation, political agenda, etc. is not everything an illusion to one degree or another? however, billions of humans in economic poverty is not an illusion. the film presents persons usually never seen by the privileged minority (not just untouchables; "unseeables") that constitute perhaps the majority of the residents of planet earth. all filmed subjects (when the subjects are aware of being filmed, that is) are altered by the presence of the camera, and microphones. there is no way to transmit the smells, the extremes of temperature/humidity, but all these things are there, 24/7/365 for many people. i think it is a valid testimony to reality, and well worth seeing. i spent months in two of the cities, new york and Mexico city, and have lived for two years in another megacity, sao paulo, brasil. seeing is believing, and these places have a surreal aspect to them, especially the slums, favelas, etc. such humanity pressed together, many struggling to survive in massive cities where indeed there is ample money flowing, but the concentration of this wealth is amongst the few. one would be foolish to ignore the urban phenomenon and the effects on terrestrial sensibilities and life itself. there is a karmic aspect at work as well, which for me is the parallel with "koyaanisquatsi", "baraka", etc. so the director paid them! should he have filmed them for free?

After reading the other comments and reviews I have been expecting something like Kooyanisquatsi, Powaquatsi or Baraka, and I think that might have been the intention or ambition of the filmmaker. But, oh my, he failed big time. This is exploitation all the way. It´s completely staged and directed, and it suits itself by showing images of violence poverty and selfdegradation. He never comes even close to the real issues of Megacities in our time ( so he leaves out Tokyo for example- not enough poverty and crime there, I think). It reminded me fatally of the Italian exploitative documentaries of the 60s ( for example Mondo Cane by Gualtiero Jacopetti and Franco Prosperi, who also staged everything they depicted in their films). So even his approach is not at all new or original. And like the Italians he seems to look down on people in a way you might call fascist, but everyone should judge for himself. So, if you watch it, do not take it too seriously. It´s not worth it, at all!!