Just saw the most amazing film, Un Prophète from director Jacques Audiard. First, I saw Avator in Paris in French without subtitles. Now I am in London watching the biggest French film of the year, Un Prophète, with English subtitles. English translation - A Phophet. I predict Un Prophète will win this year's Oscar for Best Foreign Language Movie.
If you like crime/gangster films (AND I DO) you will not want to miss A Phophet when it comes to a cinema near you. In the brilliant company of Good Fellas, The Godfather, Scarface, Menace II Society, The Krays, Mean Streets, Carlito's Way and City of God, The Phophet presents the contemporary strife and gritty realities of the business of crime from a complete outsider who gets involved and does bad things; however he never quite becomes bad. He really is surviving in a world where his behavior is acceptable and even his life of petty crime could never foreshow the life he would come to know.
The protagonist in The Phophet, Malik. Malik is the most unlikely criminal you will ever see - and this may just be why the film is so engaging. Malik el Djebena (Tahar Rahim) is a young man of North African origin but estranged from the Muslim community. The film begins with Malik being sentenced to six (6) years in prison. Once inside, Malik does not fit in with the Muslims or the Corsicans who rule the prison. Young, attractive, and alone -- a boy has got to survive and get himself protected.
Forced to kill another inmate, Malik gains unbridled protection by the Corsicans. This opens up a shady world of risky and dangerous behavior but lucrative with long-term career opportunities to Malik. As he is takes advantage of all things in his way, including learning to read and write for the very first time at age 23, Malik meets another inmate Ryad. Ryad seems to be Malik's first and only real friend. They quickly bond and form a brotherly relationship. Ryad (Adel Bencherif) is the real standout in The Phophet. His performance is well crafted and like Malik, you really like this guy. You know he is a good person with a petty criminal record that really translates like getting Ds on your 10th grade report card. There is hope.
Director Audiard executes some fantastic scenes where Malik interacts with the ghost/soul of his victim. One of my favorite scenes is where Ryad returns to the prison to visit Malik with his infant son and proclaims Malik as the Godfather. This is not The Godfather; however, Malik probably represents the new godfather. A real regular boy next door type who just happens to kill, rob, steal, sell narcotics, conduct insider trading deals all the while learning to read and write and precisely done by COB - closed of business 7:00PM.
Un Prophète really is great filmmaking and storytelling. There are cultural, ethnic and religious presentation, however, this is a film about prison culture, crime, mobsters and business. It is not about all Arab men or the behavior of Muslim men. It is a film about one young man's raise to the top of his unchosen profession because he is smart, resourceful and surrounds himself with a capable team. Malik is good at what he does. A goal we all strive for in whatever we do.
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