A Prophet
from 15 reviews
RRP £22.99
£11.79
Saving you £11.2!
Released:07/06/2010
More Details
Studio:Optimum
Director:Jacques Audiard
Cast: Tahar Rahim, Niels Arestrup, Adel Bencherif, Hichem Yacoubi, Reda Kateb
Running Time:155 minutes
Product Description
Tahar Rahim, Niels Arestrup, Adel Bencherif, Hichem Yacoubi, Reda KatebDirector: Jacques Audiard
Tags
Crime, Crime, Thrillers and Mystery, Drama, World Cinema, General
Reviews
This is an incredible film depicting the challenge of surviving life in a harsh prison environment made all the harder by the protagonist's merely hinted at troubled past and his inescapable cultural identity. Somehow he musters up huge reserves of resilience to overcome the former and ends up using the latter to his advantage by nurturing ambiguity and successfully dividing his loyalties, becoming the middleman for most everyone - but actually committing to no one ('I work for myself').
A brilliant crime drama in its own right this can rightly be mentioned in the same breath as the Godfather trilogy, Goodfellas, Scarface and the like. What is particularly commendable is the lack of any overt crime family romanticism which is often evident within this genre, the incredibly charismatic yet understated performance from the lead and the occasional artistic curve balls such as the dream sequences and the excellent choice of music (Talk Talk are always very much welcome).
Brutal, unflinching, unapologetic, a film you simply can't take your eyes off that crackles and hisses with an underlying malevolent energy that never lets you rest for even a second - `A Prophet' pulls no punches and is all the better for it.
A Prophet tells the story of a somewhat naive but intelligent young inmate from Arabic origins who rises through the criminal ranks to become a big boss. Serve with an outstanding cast and an almost exclusively males and non-professional actors, the film of Jacque Audiard manages to prove that you don't need a so called bankable actor/actress in order to make a masterpiece.
What you need is a vision, an excellent scenario and a perfect casting. Set mainly within prison walls, the film depicts the prison "career" of Malik el Djebena, a 19-year-old man of North African origin who was sentenced to six years in prison. At his arrival in prison, Malik (wonderfully played by Tahar Rahim) is forced by Cesar Luciani, a Corsican kingpin (played by the excellent Niels Arestrup) to kill a prisoner named Reyeb. What follows is a powerful film that grabs your attention from beginning to end. The film works on so many levels and yet achieves excellence in all of them. "Un prophète" works as a social description of the hellish atmosphere one could encounter in prison. The promiscuity, the dirtiness, the drug, the sex, the corruption are detailed through very well drawn out characters and situations. You live in prison and what you live isn't giving any concessions to reality. "Un prophète" is a thrilling gangster film deprave of any sort of Manichaeism. Between the buildings of a drug business, the contract to assassinate a mafia kingpin, the negotiation with a local mobster and the rise to power of a young bandit or "racaille", the film manages to link every single story and wrap them all in one big and dark vision of what the French society can also produce. Eventually the film triggers so many emotions; in 150 minutes the audience balances from bitterness to injustice and from violence to peace. Jacques Audiard and Stéphane Fontaine (director of photography) controlled with mastery both the "mise en scène" and the cinematography. Using here stop motion there torch like effect and opposing darkness to light they cut out possible definitions for the words loyalty or betrayal, friendship or servitude, destiny or curse.
The director of the excellent "de battre mon coeur s'est arrêté " and the very good "sur mes lèvre" signs here a haunting movie a unique cinematographic and emotional experience, a masterpiece.
'A Prophet' follows Malik, a young illiterate Frenchman of Maghrebin's origins, sent to jail for 6 years for reasons never fully explored. Appearing at first fragile and isolated in this new and hostile environment, Malik quickly finds ways to not only survive but also to establish himself as a key player in the carceral hierarchy.
This very approachable (but never simplistic) movie works perfectly well as a thriller - it grabs you and never let go for the next 2.5 hours. Yet the movie is also impressively ambitious and complex and through its themes of identity, personal choices and destiny, it offers a magnificent view into what is for most of us an alien and marginal world and way of life.
Stepping up from the already hugely enjoyable 'The beat that my heart skipped', Jacques Audiard's direction is incredibly self-assured and he links scenes of emotions, violence and even a tinge of supernatural with tight control. One special mention for Tahar Rahim who brings a very touching humanity to the main character.
Fascinating, absorbing, audacious, you name it and the movie is bound to deliver. A highly commendable and recommended work. Go on: rent it, buy it, just watch it!
I managed to persuade my subtitle hating husband to watch this and he sat in silence for 2.5 hours, he loved it! As good as Papillon and just as shocking but very much set in 21st century Europe. I loved the way the lead character picked his way through the racial hatred and blind anger to negotiate a better life. It is a very clever film and I will watch it again soon, as I am sure I didn;t get all the subplots.
You should not expect an action packed gangster film, which may be portrayed by the cover; this film is about character, relationships and survival. The film grips you from the start; you will love Malik, cowering when he cowers and rejoice at his successes. This is a great film. This film deserves the praise and accolades from Cannes and the Academy. The screenplay and excellent cinematography, added to outstanding performances lead the viewer through Malik's growth from illiterate thug to intelligent criminal. The film's few graphic scenes provide a balance between the drudgery of prison and the reality of the prison environment.
