A prophet is a staggering work of brilliance that only gets better and better every time I see it. At once he falls under the sway of a group of Corsicans who enforce their rule in the prison. Watched Oct 04, 2020. A Prophet 2009 ★★★★½ . Sentenced to six years in prison, Malik El Djebena is alone in the world and can neither read nor write. Join here. One of the best french films, amazing cinematography. Made by fans in Auckland, New Zealand. The development of tension and the relationship between the characters played by Tahar Rahim and Niels Arestrup is a masterclass. It's a bit overlong, but played with a wonderful sense of both menace and innocence by Tahar Rahim. The rating may change. it's so clever, and does the 'mafia' type of film in an incredibly unique and encapsulating way. A Prophet 2009 ★★★ Watched Apr 24, 2020. Since this breakout performance four years ago Tahar Rahmin has steadily continued to develop a reputation as one of the most exciting actors in Europe. Of course I've always been a sucker for crime dramas, but I wasn't expecting such a fresh and original story in such an unfamiliar setting. Prison dramas are a tricky type of film to handle and this one does such a fantastic job of exploring the complex hierarchies between the Corsicans and the Muslim factions, and the Malik, the young Algerian thrust between the two sides and played to perfection by Tahar Rahim, who is indeed sublime in an extremely understated yet potent performance. More details at At first I thought it was just another depressing or difficult-to-watch film about life in prison, but it's so much more than that. In his breakthrough performance there's absolutely nothing to knock but almost everything to admire. Un prophète is a formidable film in every…, The idea is to leave here a little smarter.-Reyeb. © Letterboxd Limited. It's about a guy with nothing to lose… who comes of age… explores the limits of his humanity… and rises to power. Review by Waqar Pro. A Prophet 2009 ★★★★★ Rewatched Jul 24, 2020. High praise, right? Survive to Thrive. Enjoy! I'd heard so many recommendations for Un prophète from people with good taste, on Letterboxd and before I joined, that at some point I forgot that it's a two and a half hour prison movie. I'm starting to think that jail isn't a very nice place. A Prophet 2009 ★★★★½ . At once he falls under the sway of a group of Corsicans who enforce their rule in the prison. © Letterboxd Limited. But I wasn't always sure what was going on or who was who in the labyrinthine plot. Yeah, that bizarre description only captures about 90% of what this film is about. A Prophet 2009 ★★★★ Watched Aug 04, 2017. list of the 1,000 greatest films. Sentenced to six years in prison, Malik El Djebena is alone in the world and can neither read nor write. If you were to boil this film down to it's purest element. In his breakthrough performance there's absolutely nothing to knock but almost everything to admire. This is the gold standard of all prison dramas. It's about a guy with nothing to lose… who comes of age… explores the limits of his humanity… and rises to power. I had hoped that some of the relationships Malik built would have been slightly more fleshed out. Documentary about African political leader Patrice Lumumba, who was Prime Minister of Zaire (now Congo) when he was assassinated in 1961. A prophet is a staggering work of brilliance that only gets better and better every time I see it. Step Two: Pick a Number. This transformation is up there with the likes of Al Pacinos performance as Michael Corleone in The Godfather. C’est incroyable. A Prophet. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. 2009 Letterboxd; Contact; BDC’s NEDA Benefit Show – February 28th & 29th, 2021 Free & Livestreamed via Facebook A Prophet’s Gamble – December 18th, 2020 Dunvegan Productions' End of Season Show Get Six Feet Back – New Video Live! You do feel pangs of sadness for him because of how the other prisoners treat him and you get…. A Prophet 2009 ★★★★★ Rewatched Oct 29, 2019. ‘Un prophète’ Torn between four and four-and-a-half. August 15th, 2020 Dagger & Ink About Us News. Sublime lighting and contrast reinforces the splitting of the individual, brought about by a corrupt and failing system of incarceration. Malik's arc through his prison sentence is carefully escalated through the years, not quickly draping him in the kings clothes ready to rule a new empire.…. Step Three: GET WEIRD! Honestly couldn’t take my eyes off this, and that’s not just because I’d miss the subtitles. list of the 1,000 most acclaimed films…. Malik wants to rehabilitate himself, and he does - but keeping both of his eyeballs is more of a priority than his economics exam (we never find out the result). February 1, 2021 • No Comments • News. Jacques Audiard :"Malik suddenly has the feeling of being in a film and has the feeling of invulnerability, like a fictional character whereas the others are reaching a stalemate in the events which are unfolding. Whenever he is asked the question about who is he working for, the answer he gives is for himself. When it comes to American remakes of foreign properties, you can’t blame us for feeling somewhat cautious. Film data from TMDb. As the 'missions' go by, he toughens himself and wins the confidence of the Corsican group. Es una película sensitivamente superior a la mayoria, logra transmitir absolutamente toda sensación generada y condescender con las decisiones del protagonista, ya sean moralmente buenas o malas. It's brutal and stylish without feeling it compromises either side, but what I was most impressed by was how much poignancy it found within the narrative, notably a plane sequence which ends up being surprisingly moving, and how Malik never loses our emotional investment and his humanity despite going into some very dark waters. work in progress. - NY Times CalvinLaw is using Letterboxd to share film reviews and lists with friends. Malik as a character goes through a lot of development throughout his six years in jail. Block or Report. M. Suliman’s review published on Letterboxd: "...the film never succumbs to the pitfalls of the prison-movie genre, and there's something poetic about how Audiard, in the midst of all this violence, manages to make a punch to the stomach seem like the most violent act of all." Thank you SassyKimchi for recommending it to me via the r/Letterboxd Film Raffle! I work for myself [17/6/20] Definitely I have not entered the movie and probably the reason it's the show "The Night Of" which has a very similar story and made (for me) that that does not seem something new, although this production is prior to the series. Considered by most to be his crowning achievement, A Prophet takes on the familiar story of a no-name crook rising in ranks within the mob and refuses to cleanse it like many other American gangster films, romanticizing the genre. Ben_Macdonald 415 films 19,489 192 Edit, Complete list of the films Guillermo del Toro has recommended on twitter. 1,000 Greatest Films of All Time – 2021 Edition, Guillermo del Toro's twitter film recommendations, They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? We can see references to the French cinematic history in this Audiard's film, (it starts with a subjective pov shot, a French invention) especially Bresson's themes: alone Imprisoned man, salvation and redemption, not an exaggeration religious salvation with visual effects. Audiards direction is simply sublime. This case in particular seems to require an open mind, since Jacques Audiard’s A Prophet was one of the biggest critical hits of its year. It does some really interesting things with its characters, Tahar Rahim and Niels Arestrup are both great (but especially Rahim), and Jacques Audiard is clearly a great director. A Prophet 2009 ★★★★ 12 Sep, 2020 Rafael Jovine’s review published on Letterboxd: The word "epic" usually is attached to films or music that is loud and bombastic. This review may contain spoilers. Mobile site. Finally got to see what all the hype was about, this certainly didn't disappoint. His fresh-faced energy slots in perfectly with the gritty dramas he undertakes and as Malik El Djebena that youthful eagerness is on full display. Un chef d’oeuvre incontesté selon moi. Block or Report . Probably director Jacques Audiard’s finest film to date, Un prophète (A Prophet) is one searing, gritty crime drama that explores many facets of not only human condition but the current status quo as well. Exceptionally well acted, not a bad note in the whole film in my opinion. Really shines brightest in the moments where it embraces the more surreal aspects of Malik’s psychosis- Where other lesser films would take this as an opportunity to use overblown spectacle, this film opts for a more ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ approach that has a really effective way of drawing the viewer in. In both “The Godfather” and “A Prophet”, our protagonists have changed so much by the end that they’re unrecognizable; they stand taller, stronger, triumphant men. Sentenced to six years in prison, Malik El Djebena is alone in the world and can neither read nor write. Watched Jul 05, 2020. even when he has his first day trip out of prison, you feel like you're leaving prison too; when you see the vibrant colours of the packets of crisps in the supermarket, you forget you've barely seen any colour at all for an hour and a half, as you feel as if you've been by his side and experiencing everything, emotionally and physically, in a way that i haven't felt when watching a film before. With no one on the outside or inside, can't read or write. Gritty and gruelling. If you were to rid the film of all of it's impurities to seek out the diamond, you'd find Tahar Rahim. it's done so perfectly that 2hr 30 mins flies by, and leaves you wishing it never ended, and wishing you could wipe your memory and experience it all for the first time again. Just comparing where he begins and ends the film is incredible, and he is mesmerising to watch every second he is onscreen. Letterboxd; Contact; BDC’s NEDA Benefit Show – February 28th & 29th, 2021 Free & Livestreamed via Facebook A Prophet’s Gamble – December 18th, 2020 Dunvegan Productions' End of Season Show Get Six Feet Back – New Video Live! Warranted. Director Jacques Audiard is more than capable of mediating ideas of morality to achieve that oh-so-coveted character arc - comfortably placing his work among the other greats in the crime movie genre. At once he falls under the sway of a group of Corsicans who enforce their rule in the prison. However, just like films such as Once Upon A Time In America or The Godfather, sometimes the grandiose lies less on the visuals and more on the scope of the story. Are prisons a center for rehabilitation or a gangster boot camp! Lubna’s review published on Letterboxd: How do you explain Malik’s mysterious smile at the moment of the shooting? Mobile site. It was very refreshing watching this after all the blockbusters and remakes etc. The fantasy sequences are magical. The word "epic" usually is attached to films or music that is loud and bombastic. A Prophet 2009 ★★★★½ . Every film that has ever been nominated for an Academy Award in any category. And…. Not quite…. jesus... this is one of the best films i've ever seen. Un Prophète shows how prison can radicalise and brutalise. At first I thought it was just another depressing or difficult-to-watch film about life in prison, but it's so much more than that. i'm certainly going to watch more of audiard's work because this is pure excellence. I really dug how epic the film felt (in terms of its scope and runtime) while at the same time feeling really personal and intimate. IMDb What director Jacques Audiard thankfully avoids is a glorification of that process. —Rene Rodriguez, MIAMI HERALD. Strong character driven story riddled with the harsh realities of prison life and its 1st cousin brutal graphic violence! For Nicolas Within Jacques Audiard's relatively short career and filmography, the reputation for the French director/writer has grown substantially, netting three no En cuanto a las escenas de violencia también aplica lo dicho anteriormente, están elaboradas de manera tal que parezca desagradable y terrorífico, pero la curiosidad no te deja despegarte de la pantalla; esto se aplica en toda la película, esa crudeza y frialdad que se apoderan del protagonista nos aterra, pero aún así es obligatorio verla. Replicated film poster designs. Equal parts riveting and beautiful viewing. A Prophet 2009 ★★★ Watched Jun 17, 2020. One of the worst performances of my…, Tobias Andersen 8,776 films 20,500 849 Edit, Rules: Generate a number (from 1 to x) via: www.random.org, See how many number of films there are in the…. I can handle the truth. Waqar’s review published on Letterboxd: If you were to boil this film down to it's purest element. 11, Letterboxd Top 250 Narrative Features of the 2010s - Page 3 show list info . ETA: This list is getting long so I moved sections…, NeverTooEarlyMP 4,925 films 8,059 489 Edit. The stylistic super-8ish segments interspersed amongst the naturalistic majority were effective. The story of A Prophet (also known as Un prophète) follows Malik El Djebena; a 19-year old petty criminal who's sentenced to six years in prison but soon finds himself caught between the two main factions, the Corsicans & the Muslims, until forced to side with the former. I knew it was obviously good by the multitude of high ratings it was getting from Letterboxd users, but I had no idea how much I would love the film. 2021. A prophet is a staggering work of brilliance that only gets better and better every time I see it. Audiard creates a deeply flawed character, yet we're still able to care about him. As the 'missions' go by, he toughens himself and wins the confidence of the Corsican group. He falls under the sway of Corsican mobsters, led by César Luciani. Block or Report . One of my favourite things about a lot of French cinema is it’s ability to really invoke genuine grit and threat in situations where I feel a lot of…. As the 'missions' go by, he toughens himself and wins the confidence of the Corsican group. Directed by Jacques Audiard, Un prophète is a brilliant portrait of a character who slowly makes his way inside a prison. There is nothing particularly new about the story of a naive young man entering prison or the first time, only to evolve into a much smarter version by the time he is realised. I would have liked more French in the soundtrack. It’s a strange feeling to root for a character all the way as they climb up the world of organised crime. Malik is the central character who we see grow up. Tahar Rahim Niels Arestrup Adel Bencherif Hichem Yacoubi Reda Kateb Jean-Philippe Ricci Gilles Cohen Antoine Basler Pierre Leccia Foued Nassah Jean-Emmanuel Pagni Frédéric Graziani Leïla Bekhti Rabah Loucif Slimane Dazi Serge Onteniente Hervé Temime Taha Lemaizi Mohamed Makhtoumi Karim Leklou Farid Larbi Guillaume Verdier Mourad Frarema Hakim Sid Nathanaël Maïni, Pascal Caucheteux Martine Cassinelli Lauranne Bourrachot Marco Cherqui, Jacques Audiard Abdel Raouf Dafri Thomas Bidegain Nicolas Peufaillit, Bruno Via Anne Pelosi Lionel Mathis Etienne Rohde Pascal Le Guellec, Francis Wargnier Jean-Paul Hurier Marc Doisne Stephane Rabeau, Why Not Productions Chic Films Page 114 France 2 Cinéma Union Générale Cinématographique (UGC) BIM Distribuzione Celluloid Dreams France 2 CinéCinéma Région Ile-de-France Conseil Régional de Provence-Alpes Côte d'Azur CNC Sofica UGC 1 Sofica Soficinéma 4 Soficinéma 5 Canal+, Il profeta, O Profeta, Un Profeta, A próféta, Prorok, 예언자, 大狱言家, 预言先知, Un prophete, 155 mins The Package. Click the 'Read notes' button to see his…, Darren Carver-Balsiger 396 films 11,122 604 Edit, Movies made by auteur directors with a very arthouse sensibility, that happen to be genre movies (e.g. I just watched A Prophet (Jacques Audiard) for the first time yesterday, and loved it. A Prophet 2009 ★★★★½ . horror films, heist…, OB-GYN Kenobi 3,844 films 8,465 120 Edit, Step One: Go to www.random.org. (C) Abs Halal Motion Pictures"Extraordinary." Winner of Grand Prix at 2009 Cannes Film Festival, A Prophet is a hard-hitting prison drama that borrows elements from various classics of its genre, is absolutely unflinching in both its content & narration, introduces the vastly talented Tahar Rahim in his breakthrough role, and is aggressive enough to rank amongst the most potent gangster flicks out there. Incredible! Report this film. Not often you watch a 150 minute film and end up thinking there isn’t a minute wasted. Kosta Jovanović’s review published on Letterboxd: Jacques Auidard’s debatable master work is a thrilling ride through the hierarchy of prison, similar to “The Shawshank Redemption” but without cheap sentimentality and with grim realism in every frame. The 250 highest-rated narrative feature films of the 2010s, according to the Letterboxd community (as at 1 January 2020). Watched Gritty and all encompassing. Algorythm’s review published on Letterboxd: I work for no one. Watched Mar 11, 2021. Conseil Régional de Provence-Alpes Côte d'Azur, Teenage Wasteland: A Comprehensive List of Coming-of-Age films, They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? Upon his arrival at prison to serve six years, 19 year old Malik El Djebena is at his vulnerable moments. I would hazard a guess that in fact prison life is much more mundane than this, but then again, what do I know (and that’s surely part of the allure of prison dramas: they’re difficult to fact check). Watched Jan 17, 2014. 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