A Prophet

Hell on Earth begins for him, for me doors open into movie heaven. A picture that took great advantage of the “gap" in crime sagas, i.e. the time spent in prison. Usually movies begin at the end (or end and the beginning) of a prison term, or they jump it with a caption reading “X years later". Audiard manages to create a really raw and unpleasantly authentic atmosphere that is at the same time full of poetry, the type of stuff that Michael Mann often smuggles into his movies. Simply a masterly, slow-moving movie. Nothing more, nothing less. And nothing else is needed. (09/15/2009)

Or how a modern-day The Godfather might look. The prison environment is captured well here and the razor blade scene will probably haunt my dreams. The execution of the razor blade killings is absolutely brilliant and gruesome. The main actor clicked with me, even though he's an asshole, he has something about him that can make you root for him or at least hope that he'll die later than the others. (08/18/2017)

This is one of the hot candidates for the best film experience of the year, which surpasses even the very famous mafia sagas of the past. It is an unvarnished probe into today's French underworld, where a handheld camera and a selection of settings and actors provide fully authentic immersion into the world of thieves, all sorts of traders, and drug smugglers in today's multicultural France. French, Corsican, Arab, and Italian gangs compete for a place in the sun. The film depicts the rise of a petty delinquent from a Paris suburb who ends up in prison, builds his standing, and climbs the ladder in the art world thanks to the services of an experienced mafioso. Virtually every moment of the film felt believable to me and I had no problem with the logic of the plot, which rarely happens to me. Prison, as portrayed by Jacques Audiard, is an extremely unwelcoming place to live, and the view of underworld members is devoid of any nobility and mythology typical of American mafia sagas. However, the film has one flaw in that it is not all that accommodating to viewers, so it is sometimes quite difficult to orient oneself in the abundance of characters with typically Mediterranean-tanned features and in their motivations. Overall impression: 95%. In addition to the mentioned authenticity, the main advantage of Audiard's film is also the psychology of the characters. It is not just about types, as is the case with Tarantino, for example. (02/01/2010)

Don’t be scared of those 150 minutes declared by the movie. For me, that was one of the reasons why I kept postponing watching A Prophet and that was a great pity. It is a very strong gangster movie in which Tahar Rahim’s inconspicuous face constantly surprises you. You actually wouldn’t have thought that he could take what the screenwriters cooked up for him and despite his effort to lead normal life you can’t help but wonder whether you would be able to withstand such psychological stress in his place. And since they keep asking Tahar whether he eats pork, I’d like to invite him for a nice piece of pork chop with a potato salad for his performance… (02/24/2018)

"The Return of Cinema" in Paris we with my dear, we started in the stylish Saint-Germain des Pres cinema and we chose the heaviest French caliber probably of the whole year 2009. All newspapers, all magazines, all websites were unanimous in that this film is a must for every film fan. From the first minutes you can recognize the immense craftsmanship of J. Audiard. In France, he is considered a distinctive and original director. The introduction of the film is quite harsh, as expected for a newcomer to prison. The rest of the film follows his actions and fight for survival behind the prison walls. I was pleased with the diverse language mix - French, Corsican, Arabic, and also impressive music. And as if Audiard wanted to lighten the rawness and naturalism a little, he adds a touch of poetry. Tahar Rahim and Niels Astrup deserve great recognition for their performances. Finally, from my point of view, this is an excellent film, but I do not consider it the film event of the year 2009. (09/14/2009)