Movie Review: Un Prophète (2009)
A Prophet (FR: Un Prophète) is a French crime thriller which was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film by the Academy Awards. Despite running over two hours and a half, this movie is a compelling character study of a young man who progressively get an education in the confines of a prison. This is no redemption story, he does not learn to become a lawful and productive citizen. Instead, he teaches himself the ins-and-out of being a hardened career criminal during his stay in a seedy prison controlled by the Corsican mob where even the guards are paid for.
We meet our main protagonist, a petty criminal, as he is admitted to prison for a 6-yr sentence after assaulting a police officer. Malik (Tahar Rahim) is a 19-yr old illiterate French-Arab who is initially clueless and timid, only wishing to keep a low profile while serving his time. Without “protection”, the spirited but solitary Malik soon catches the attention of Corsican mob leader César Luciani (Niels Arestrup) who offers to take him under his wing if the young inmate murders a fellow Arab prisoner named Reyeb (Hichem Yacoubi). Malik doesn’t get much of a choice in the matter and after he accomplishes the grueling act, he is taken in as part of the group of Corsicans. Originally the “dirty Arab”, Malik progressively rise in the ranks from doing menial jobs to conducting “business” meetings outside the prison on behalf of César. Simultaneously, Malik learns to read and write, secretly learns Corsican to spy on César and his cronies, and plans his life after prison. He slowly transforming himself from a fearful new inmate to an ambitious career criminal and this ultimately clashes with César’s own ambitions.
The best thing about A Prophet is how subtly the characters grow over the length of the movie which spans Malik’s 6-yr sentence. Malik is not someone you would expect to make a great main protagonist but the relatively unknown Tahar Rahim sells it. Starting at the bottom of the food chain with an older Arab inmate wanting sexual favors from him, Malik has to fend for himself and in doing so, he grows and becomes a man. Not the man you would want to be in a lawful society, but a man nonetheless. Think of this as a prison version of a coming-of-age movie.
A very subtle and brief scene that spoke volume about the movie was the one in which Malik goes through a routine airport search. After walking through the metal detector and getting a routine pat search, Malik reflexively open his mouth and stick his tongue out like he has done so many times during his stay in prison. Tahar Rahim gives a quiet star-making performance here, allowing us to empathize with a brutal, industrious and ruthless character while infusing him with just enough vulnerability and innocence to keep us engaged and sympathetic. Malik isn’t a bad person, he just does whatever he has to do to survive. Eat or be eaten they say. Niels Arestrup is simply excellent as the brutal and unpredictable César while Adel Bencherif plays Malik’s lone friend in the outside world.
Most of the action takes place in the bleak and claustrophobic concrete cells of the prison but meticulous director Jacques Audiard mixes the visual drab of the cells with trips to the outside world and ghostly hallucinations by Malik of the inmate he kills early on. The movie also sidesteps the vast majority of prison life cliches. The violence and sex in the film comes and go in quick but disturbing flashes of graphic, messy and unglamorous sequences unlike anything you will find in mainstream Hollywood mobster movies.
A Prophet could use being about 20 minutes shorter and being a little less convoluted. However, this grim tale of a young man’s “education” is one that you can’t miss as it is the best gangster/prison thriller in years.
A-
Lesson of the Day:
Notes: Rated R for strong violence, sexual content, nudity, language and drug material. 155 minutes.
21 Comments
Damn, I really need to see this. I think it’s still playing in NYC amazingly enough, might be high time I finally dropped some cash on a movie that doesn’t suck.
Hope you like it!
This is the next movie I plan to watch when I get the chance, saw White Ribbon, and I thought it was rather meh. This looks (and sounds) much more captivating.
Ah I need to see the White Ribbon. Red was absolutely gushing about it!
Oh, I need to see this movie immediately. From the foreign language film nominees, I’ve only seen The White Ribbon which I adore. Haha
I saw this and thought it was excellent. I’m glad you liked it and your review is pretty spot on. I just remember the blurb for it on it’s first trailer being: “as epic as the Godfather”. It’s not, but it’s pretty awesome non the less.
It’s not as epic but Malik does remind of Michael Corleone every now and then in this film.
Ahh! This played for two weeks in Houston … both of which were when I was gone for spring break! And then they only showed it at the late night showing which is past my curfew.
But glad to know it is something to eagerly anticipate on DVD.
I saw this a few months ago and thought it was pretty decent, but nothing extraordinary. A lot of the supernatural elements didn’t work for me and felt out of place, as did the soundtrack. A lot of people praised it as being one of the year’s best, and the film that should have won “best foreign language film.”
I still think “Broken Embraces” is the best film of 2009, foreign or otherwise. I’m pretty sure the only reason that didn’t receive an Oscar nom is because Spain wanted to see another filmmaker (aside from Almodovar) get a chance.
Great review. I wanted to see this, but Guardian refuses to see subtitles films. I’ll get it on DVD, then.
Well said. I agree, except I didn’t mind the length. I just wanted more.
Nice stills by the way.
I’ve seen it three times and each time it just gets better.
Tahar Rahim is phenomenal and even if he should scream “star”, the performance is so subtle that I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the only big thing he did.
The pacing is remarkable and actually I didn’t really mind the running time, except during the first time when I’d had a gallon of soda.
Also yes, you need to see The White Ribbon! Those two were perhaps the best movies of the year in any language.
Hello from Leicester Square, Castor! I’m just taking a short break from all day of walking. I’m so curious to check this one out but not sure I have the guts for it. I’ve heard all the rave reviews, kinda remind me of Scarface (not sure if it’s accurate though). But boy, that’s some lesson of the day! Sounds like a lesson for deers to look both ways before crossing
Aahah at last someone noticed my lesson of the day all the way from England
Thanks for dropping by, hope you are having a great time and we are looking forward to your tales once you get back!
Well it’s hard not to notice!
Definitely caused me to look both ways though in London there’s this sign to look left or right at most crossings, perhaps there have been too many accidents with the tourists?
Anyway, glad to be back home.
HOLY ^*%*%^* your lesson of the day just made me want to see this movie exponentially more!!!!
I know right?
I don’t even want to know how that happens … much less how it happens in a prison movie.
Caught this one in theaters a few months ago. Man it was an experience… long stretches of getting to know the characters with intense flashes of uncomfortable violence.
Top notch film, for sure. In fact, I don’t even feel like I’ve fully absorbed it on my first viewing and most definitely have to return in the future… it’s just not something that’ll be easy to put on again.
Great review!
Of all the foreign films that were nominated, this one sounded the most intriguing. I’ve heard the story is a little conviluted before but that it is very good. Is it due on DVD soon?
Un Prophete was AMAZINGNESS from 2009 xD
and a total miss opportunity to not nominate Rahim for Best Actor in any possible award given last award season. I am sure it was one of my favorite films last year, though I’m not sure whether it could be “the favorite”.
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