A Prophet

Raging Bob

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1235166/

Caught this a few months back and loved it. This was my first experience of Jacques Audiard but I'll be going out of my way to check out The Beat That My Heart Skipped (2005) etc. I haven't written a review for it as of yet but this is just a reminder that it's released here on the 22nd of this month. You may have already heard about it as it's making quite a number of those 'top x' lists that were thrown about recently.

Tahar Rahim is brilliantly cast as the young inmate. Engaging story. Wonderful cinematography. Excellent score. Seriously, check this one out if you can. Best French film I've seen in the past few years.

JJJJNR

Wow, checked it out, amazing movie, great story, great acting the whole way through. amazing realism.

Don't want to say too much.

Just go and watch it ok..

nacho libre

Agreed. A most excellent movie!

ScumLord

Downloading on this recommendation. The French make good films and the subject matter alone sounds like a winner. Cheers!!

The Pontiac

I saw this a few months ago and thought it was excellent. The only criticism I'd have is I thought it was a bit too long.

conorhal

I caught it at the weekend.

Normally this wouldn't be my cup of tea, I'm just not much of a 'gangster genre' fan and feared the film would go down the grim and depressing route of deprivation porn.
A Prophet however is one seriously well made and intresting film with flawless central performances. If I were to liken it to anything, I'd call it a french version of 'The Wire', tracking as it does a street criminal's rise to power with gritty determined realism and a social conscience.
This is a film with something to say, a sly critique of the prison system and it's dangers, cliques, corruption and even hope. Oh, and it's very entertaining too!

jeffreylebowski

I quite liked this film, but I found it left me a bit cold. I thought it was interesting, harrowing, but by the end I just didn't have very strong feelings about anything happening on screen.

So I thought it was a good film on a critical basis, but one that didn't move me.

senordingdong

Hmmm....must check this out so.

Coriolanus

Just got out of the cinema and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Was particularly impressed with the morality of it. Nice to see a proper anti-hero who doesn't get redeemed just in time for the credits ala Hollywood style.
Some of the scenes were trippy.

The deer stop motion one in particular

and added a good deal of dislocation and sense of confusion to the film that reflected the players lives quite well.

Really impressed!

Edit: Anyone know if the soundtrack was changed for the fully subtitled version? I only noticed in a few scenes, but it was a very anglophone track listing.

marwelie

Saw it this afternoon. With all the characters and plot lines its quite awkward to keep a track on whats going on but its very well acted. There are no holds barred where the violence is concerned so consider yourself warned if youre of a nervous disposition this one may not be for you. My only real criticism is that its a bit too long.

mackthefinger

Watched it Sunday evening. A french version of the wire is a good description. Thought the lead and the older gangster were both excellant. Difficult to watch at times

especially the bit with the razor blade.

The French are coming out with some cracking gangster movies recently, with this and 'Mesrine' (though both very different movies). Will check out some of his earlier films.

johnny_ultimate

Very much enjoyed this. Not usually the biggest fan of prison dramas, but this worked well. It had a suspenseful, entertaining central story (I mostly understood what was going on, but I must admit my knowledge of French society and the Corsican v Arab conflict is extremely limited) with quite a few moments of black comedy

(got to love there three vehicles following Malik when he is finally released)

. I felt Audiard got a lot of mileage out of the moral complexity of Malik too. We've all seen these zero to crime overlord stories before,

but using the motif of Malik's first victim repeatedly throughout (until, of course, he finally becomes immune to his moral nagging)

added surreal, interesting moments of character development. Definitely agree the more stylised interludes and constant symbols of freedom

(a favourite moment was the brief sight of an airplane above the prison yard, and of course Malik takes his first flight very soon after)

added a lot to the film. Also got to admire a film that manages to

wring some sort of sympathy for the image of a broken old bastard on the ground, despite his horrific personality and actions throughout the movie.

Doctor Zaius

A very good movie, thoroughly enjoyed it, interesting characters and great story development. The ending as mentioned above was quite funny. A very well made film with clever references.

Also gotta ask about the soundtrack, the use of English songs felt weird to me. Although I do love that version of Mack the knife at the end.

Tusky

Absolutely loved this. Really really good. Interesting, original, tense, exciting and very well made made.

I would advise people not to give away any plot points. I went into this knowing very little about it and I think it was the best way to watch it. Ive seen synopsis of it that in my opinion, give far too much away. I'm looking at you 'conorhal'!

Ally Dick

I preferred Mesrine, but I thought A Prophet was quite good.
I believe A Prophet has been nominated in the foreign language category of the Oscars ahead of Mesrine. Really, I think Vincent Cassell's performance in Mesrine was that good tht he deserved a nomination in the main Oscar category for Best Actor. It was an incredible performance.

Basq

Watched this last night.. thought it was very very good!

The 150 minute runtime just flew by. Incredibly gripping throughout, and thought the performances of Tahar Rahim and Niels Arestrup were both superb.

Really recommend it!

Gerty

saw it last night and thought it was brilliant! warning is to make sure you're not too tired seeing it because you really have to focus for those two and a bit hours.

Birneybau

Saw it yesterday evening and I have to say found it pretty damn boring...
Maybe because I was a bit tired and that but there was at least 3 points of the film that I felt like leaving because I just could'nt stick it anymore...
Mesrine was far superior..

2040

Went to see this tonight. Thought it was outstanding. A real breath of fresh air. Probably the best film i've seen in the last 12 months.

I think maybe some of the symbolism might have passed me by. Could anyone enlighten me. There were a lot of Jesus/Mohammed things going on.

conno16

excellent, well worth putting 2.5 hours aside

ScumLord

Finally got around to watching this film and loved it, I wish I'd known it was 2.5 hours long when I started though.

One of the best rags to riches films I've seen. The one thing that struck me was that French prisons are pretty nice and I loved the way even prisoners have those long French rolls.

L31mr0d

ScumLord wrote: »

I loved the way even prisoners have those long French rolls.

lol, yeah I thought the exact same thing. All these grizzly convicts walking around with whole baguettes under their arms.

Overall though I loved it. The plot weaves itself so effortlessly that you only learn of the next turn right before you need to know about it. Nothing is phoned in or predictable.

I thought the last scene was cinematic perfection

with him looking into the box of items he entered the prison with and then the convoy of cars following behind him,

it really contrasted perfectly with how the film opened

Pot Noodle =

Anyone seen it i thought it was Brilliant i bet there will be a remake in English any reviews from Boardies

duckworth

Yeah, thought it was great. If you really liked it you should check out ' The Beat that my Heart Skipped'. The director did it before 'A Prophet' - it reminds me of early Scorcese, except in French. It's just as good as A Prophet.

Pot Noodle =

Thanks will check it out

Coriolanus

Pot wrote:

Anyone seen it i thought it was Brilliant i bet there will be a remake in English any reviews from Boardies

I loved it, and hope they don't do a remake. For one thing I think most Anglophone developers would want to trim it back to a single film, and I honestly can't think of an actor to fill Cassels shoes in this one.

duckworth

Nevore wrote: »

I loved it, and hope they don't do a remake. For one thing I think most Anglophone developers would want to trim it back to a single film, and I honestly can't think of an actor to fill Cassels shoes in this one.

?? Are you mixing up Mesrine with A Prophet?

Miguel_Sanchez

duckworth wrote: »

?? Are you mixing up Mesrine with A Prophet?

I believe he is.

Both great films though.

Coriolanus

Yeah, totally was.

Saw both in the cinema, loved them both, can only predict that Hollywood versions of either would be a sad shadow.

ScumLord

Nevore wrote: »

Yeah, totally was.

Saw both in the cinema, loved them both, can only predict that Hollywood versions of either would be a sad shadow.

More than likely an insult to cinema goers.