Review of A Prophet (2009) by Ypomoni — 04 Jul 2013

I found the pace of the film extremely slow and hence annoying; some of the typical-for-a-french-film "surrealistic" scenes had me wondering what was going on. All this aside, I ended up really enjoying the film.

Niels Arestrup puts in an amazing performance as Ceasar. He is (initially) the undisputed king of the joint, and he knows it. But as time goes by, we see that he and his status are fragile. He desperately attempts to keep hold of his power while at the same time trying not to show any cracks in his armour. However, it's Tahar Rahim that steals the show. As a young, ignorant Malik he enters prison not knowing what to expect. He is forced to kill and serve Ceasar, the later treating like his lapdog. Malik, however, is patient and observant, and uses this to his advantage. While Ceasar constantly reminds Malik that he is dependent on him, Malik eventually realises that it's the other way around. His transformation throughout the film is gradual and extremely convincing. Both actors go through a range of emotions with subtlety yet great performing power. I also enjoyed the claustrophobic directorial route, which suited this prison drama so well. I do not know whether or not this film was suppose to be a reflection today's society, or bringing any of the other "heavy" messages I see floating around the web regarding the film. What I got from it was that an individual can become someone he never expected when forced into extremely difficult situations.