Review of A Prophet (2009) by Jessetaylor25 — 08 Apr 2011
This is up there with "Midnight Express" and "The Shawshank Redemption" as one of the best prison films ever made. A graphic portrayal of the rise of a small-time criminal into a big-time Mafia boss all while serving a six year sentence in prison.
"A Prophet" has already established itself as crime drama classic and it's only a few years old now. Director Jacques Audiard is something of a master of the genre in France, a French Scorsese one might say.
In fact, this film shares a lot of similarities with the best crime drama of all time, "Goodfellas". Besides the similar narrative, the two films share one big thing in common: Both films tackle so much and fit a lot into their 150 minute plus runtimes, yet it doesn't feel rushed or sloppy.
Executed with ease, this film bowls over a lot of plot points in such little time, but in the end you want to see more. It's a saga that really satisfies and what kept me interested was the charismatic performance of newcomer Tahar Rahim as the film's main character, Malik El Djebena.
If you like "Goodfellas" or, even if you don't, "A Prophet" is a must see. One of the most popular films of 2009, it won the Grand Prix at Cannes and was nominated for the Oscar for Best Foreign Film.
Jacques Audiard's "A Prophet" is a timeless crime epic that is virtually flawless and remains refreshingly original, which is hard to in such a predictable genre.
This review of A Prophet (2009) was written by Jessetaylor25 on 08 Apr 2011.
A Prophet has generally received very positive reviews.
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