Review of Gomorrah (2008) by Tony P — 02 Nov 2009

With five braided narratives, Gomorrah confidently assumes the risk of being extraneous and long as it embellishes in intensity with a handheld, by-stander perspective. There's a fearlessness and a boldness to every lengthy take, as if it's a story that simply need be told.

The aweing cinematography, raw performances, and dreadfully realistic violence gives the film a weight that justifies its lumbering pace. Although striking and engaging, most of the twists are predictable to anyone whose seen The Godfather a handful of times.

However, where the film surprises is in its dark humor, which taps into every one of the stories and intermittenly trades off with tragedy. An artful work of irony and truth.