Review of Prince (2015) by Matthew S — 21 Aug 2015
Sam de Jong's film tells the story of a Dutch-Moroccan teen trying to find his way to some level of power in a life that seems to be veering so far out of his control he is slipping into despair.
He strikes some gold thanks to a solid cast, most especially Ayoub Elasri in the title role.
The film is overly-stylized and not in a good way. Pretty to look at, but it gets in the way of the a story that seems to be set in the reality of lower-class Amsterdam. The film deals with poor parenting, drug addiction, bullying, peer pressure and the criminal underground.
The entire film is presented in shiny color as if any minute it is going to morph into a mix of "Napoleon Dynamite" merged with "United Colors of Benetton" -- all with 80's synth music. In fact, the tidy ending seems like a clip from some Euro-Fashion Advert.
Despite some strong performances and several powerful scenes, the film offers some entertainment but is ultimately limp.
This review of Prince (2015) was written by Matthew S on 21 Aug 2015.
Prince has generally received positive reviews.
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