A Prophet 2010 Free Movie Poster A Prophet Film Review

admin — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 20:45:48 +0000

Synopsis: An impressionable and vulnerable Arabic man gets thrust into a hellish prison, and ironically discovers greater opportunities for success than he ever possessed outside of the bars, in this violent melodrama from French succès d’estime Jacques Audiard (The Beat That My Heart Skipped). Tahar Rahim stars as Malik El Djebena, a petty criminal incarcerated for six years. Once inside and subjected to all of the standard brutalities that most prisoners endure (including a rough strip search), he is quickly educated in the “ways” of the prison, an institution torn violently between gangs of Corsicans and Arabs. The head Corsican thug, César Luciani (Niels Arestrup), offers Malik an ultimatum: either he rubs out an Arab inmate named Reyeb (Hichem Yacoubi), or he himself dies. Not only does Malik succeed with the hit, he earns the begrudging respect of the other prisoners, and — after securing several days’ release for good behavior — uses off-time to forge a deeper and more multi-layered network of criminal ties than he ever dreamed possible. But as his own power and confidence grow, they threaten to outstrip César’s own insistence on submission and obedience at all costs.

At age 18, Malik El Djebena (Tahar Rahim) is just beginning a six-year prison sentence in this drama from THE BEAT THAT MY HEART SKIPPED director Jacques Audiard. Though he cannot read or write, Malik soon figures out the politics of the prison system, giving him a prime spot in the power struggle between two battling groups of prisoners. THE PROPHET reunites Audiard with two of his stars from THE BEAT THAT MY HEART SKIPPED, Niels Arestrup and Gilles Cohen, as well as that film’s director of photography, Stéphane Fontaine, and its composer, Alexandre Desplat.

What¹s it all about? France¹s Jacques Audiard has been steadily building audiences with films that combine a crime setting with vivid characters and emotional depth. Now the director of Read My Lips and The Beat That My Heart Skipped presents a touching prison drama that evolves into a riveting gangster thriller. When illiterate, vulnerable 19-year-old French Arab Malik (Tahar Rahim) arrives for his first spell in grown-up jail, the dominant Corsican gang make him an offer her can¹t refuse: kill a fellow Arab inmate, who they need eliminating, or be killed. By doing so, Malik earns their protection, and a low-status position in their gang, but over the course of
his sentence his ambitions and abilities evolve.

What¹s good about it? It¹s a gripping story with contemporary resonance, which expertly engages your sympathy for a character that becomes untethered to morality. Audiard is brilliantly served by his leading man: newcomer Tahar Rahim, who since A Prophet¹s Cannes premiere has won Best Actor at the European Film Awards, and been nominated for our own BAFTA Orange Rising Star.

What¹s not so good? Some critics have quibbled over the odd implausibility, while anyone averse to either violence or subtitles should avoid. A running time of two-and-a-half hours might put off a few, but be assured that the minutes fly by.

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A Prophet 2010 Free Movie Poster A Prophet Film Review