Muses.Music.

Gomorrah/Gomorra




In this review I will begin with a confession, the thing that got me to pull the trigger and watch this film was the story of the mafia of the movie’s namesake put a hit out on the writer Roberto Saviano. I am awfully selective in the films I watch and I don’t really have the same fascination for violence I did a few years earlier (Thanks to Takashi Miike) so this film wasn’t high on my list. The chance to not only judge the film on the merits of it’s authenticity as well as the ability to see if I could find what it was that would cause such an uproar made me finally give this film a shot. And I am glad I did because this film truly has a first rate killer story and plot!

Much like two of my favorite films of all time, City of God and Traffic, this movie achieves what I see as the highest ideal in contemporary fiction: it FEELS real. IMO the intro was somewhat contrived to be honest (see a pattern emerging?), but it was very effective in locking in your attention for the next ten minutes, and then the director artfully slides in the human element and before you know it you are hooked. No, this is not an extended version of The Sopranos (thank God, no disrespect) you won’t get a glamor life version of the mob this is real, down and dirty, gritty mafioso material.



The film is made up of five different stories told about the people affected by the Gomorra, and as usual I will not get into the plot and allow you to discover and enjoy it for yourself. I will say that the stories are each very well comprised and intertwine effortlessly into the fabric that the film is made. For those looking to quench their blood thirst, this film does a fine enough job of depicting violence in such a way that the incredible scenes seem to flow naturally and you find yourself not noticing the slight embellishment that the film makes to convey the gruesomeness of the crimes. One of the best things is that you will almost certainly find yourself choosing sides in each of the stories and some of them end the way you like and some of them don’t, but your time and attention is not wasted and you don’t find yourself feeling cheated at all.



I would recommend this for anyone who liked City of God and organized crime or underworld films. Especially if like me you are jaded by the water down Hollywood version with stereotyped characters which are often laughable caricatures of themselves. These characters are real and three dimensional, the realism is at first impressive, but in retrospect somewhat depressing…. Since this isn’t just the figment of an overactive imagination, these actually resonate with people in the Italian Ghetto. With that said as entertainment, shock value or a source of foreign information, I highly recommend all to see this movie!

Live Well,
Muses

Directed by: Matteo Garrone
Produced by: Domenico Procacci
Written by: Matteo Garrone
Roberto Saviano (and others)
Starring: Nicoló Manta
Gianfelice Imparato
Music by: Massive Attack
Cinematography: Marco Onorato
Editing by: Marco Spoletini
Running time: 135 min.
Country: Italy
Language: Italian
Neapolitan
Budget: $6.2 million
Gross revenue $25,277,115
(Source: Gomorra on Wikipedia)

Medicine For Melancholy

Studio: Strike Anywhere
Writer and Director: Barry Jenkins
Starring: Wyatt Cenac and Tracey Heggins
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1133989

Rewarding. Yes rewarding would be the single word I would use to describe the complete film experience of Medicine For Melancholy. Ironically; though the plot surrounds a one night stand, this really wouldn’t make a great date movie, it would be more of a “in a committed relationship” movie.

Medicine For Melancholy is a love story about the City of San Fransisco as much as it is or more than it is about the two characters. The main character Micah (Wyatt Cenac) wakes up after a heavy night of drinking in bed with Angela or Joanne ( Tracey Heggins who bears a pleasant resemblance to a young Lynn Whitfield) and seemingly in reverse order the story of their love affair begins. The initial sexual tension becomes like a dance between the two as they pull and push their way into each others worlds. All this amidst the backdrop of the insanely complex maze of social circles, race, income and geographical disparity that is apparently characteristic of the city of San Fransisco. After this gets cemented for the moviegoer the director, (Barry Jenkins) expertly releases the reigns of the plot and an organic development and flow of the story and characters (city included) dominate the remainder of the film.

With the regard to the city immediately you are transported to the metaphorical psyche of San Fransisco, its beautiful landscapes and unique layout. Immediately following this you are given a taste of its diversity and then its history.

The chemistry in the film was phenomenal, both between actors and the relationships with the city. As with all of my reviews I don’t reveal any plots and as little of the actual story as possible, my goal is to comment on its worthiness for your time and money. But, I think the awkwardness of the morning after the overnight stand could have been handled a bit better, it seemed a bit overreaching, though I may be missing the point. Production-wise the cinematography was very artistic, perfectly muted enough to draw us deeper and deeper into the story as the film progressed. However, I did notice the sound was a bit clumsy, I am not sure if it was for an authentic effect but certain parts just didn’t audibly gel with the pace or the feel of the story. This however has nothing to do with the lofty lullaby of the score or the soundtrack.

This film is definitely not one that you can watch without being drawn into it. This is both good and bad in a couple ways. It is good because the story gets its hooks in you, it allows you to evaluate yourself along with the characters. It also draws attention to the subject matter, but this is a double edged sword. The question I have about this film is that was it as entertaining as it should be? I am sold on it’s quality but the moral seems to occupy a little more shelf space than I am used to with most stories. For example, I have never been to San Fransisco, but as a native of San Fransisco is it possible I would think this is THEE FILM OF THE YEAR? I am not sure, reflecting on it now I wonder; maybe I missed most of the substance being I am an outsider and can’t relate as much as a native. Also, did the Afro-Centric sprinkles get a bit too heavy at a time? Not sure about that either and I can’t tell, because I am African American, though it is possible just my asking may be the answer to that question.
For the studio, Strike Anywhere, they may feel that they have hit this one out of the park as this contemplation is exactly what I should be feeling at the end of their film. Perhaps being a foreign Asian or other Non-African American person this film has as rich of a meaning as it does to “Indie” African Americans in the Bay. That isn’t the point I know, and I am not here to evaluate the studio’s mission statement, but the film was that good and such a breath of fresh air that it forced me to ponder. I highly recommend this DVD and there is absolutely no way a person complaining about Hollywood’s stagnation and stranglehold on the culture and artistic creativity should miss Medicine For Melancholy
-M.M.

A Prophet (Un Prophète)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1235166/
Director:
Jacques Audiard
Writers:
Thomas Bidegain (screenplay)
Jacques Audiard (screenplay)

Before I start I would like to warn you that I am not a critic, I am simply a reviewer, so I have an opinion, but I don’t have an agenda. My purpose here is to give my observations and thoughts of a movie I have watched while focused. Also I recommend you do not watch the trailers or read the “imdb” plot description because they give away too much. A Prophet (Un Prophète in French) starts off a little jerky; we open in a foreign prison, with Malek (Tahar Rahim) who looks like he got chewed up and spit out by life. I am not a ‘prison’ person, didn’t watch much OZ or Prison Break, so if this is you as well, then you need not worry it isn’t that kind of movie. Nothing is revealed in the first few minutes of any interest, and by all accounts the movie seems a bit slow, but this is done intentionally. If you can make it through the first 10 minutes or so without losing interest this movie is going to be and excellent find for you once it gets into gear.

Without giving anything away, I want to express what you would be in for if you decide to give A Prophet a chance. The story is itself not very edge of your seat exciting, it has slight blips of genius originality, but this is not where the movie shines. The realism and mastery that the film delivers without pause is what makes it a must see for mature movie palates. The cinematography is very much like that of a documentary (this technique is called cinema verité or true film), yet it seems quite deliberate. The acting is astonishing, even though I am watching subtitles I feel that every scene is almost improvised and reworked to perfection. This movie draws you in, you don’t have to do much but try to stay aboard the ride as they take you through a roller coaster of suspense and mystery sprinkled with well proportioned and well timed action and a small dash of the metaphysical..

I will admit that the title threw me off, A Prophet, when dealing with a middle eastern character (do not worry this isn’t that type of movie) made me think of Mohammad who is The Prophet for Islam. Also, I thought of the saying “A Prophet is not without honor save in his own country. But true to the post modernistic tint that the film has, it doesn’t answer that fully either, which to someone as used to Hollywood ‘flicks’ I am used to is always a bit out of my comfort zone. Besides that cinematic sting, there were no holes in the plot, also not too many large leaps of faith, and no agenda; which is VERY important to me in films. There was a racial/religious dynamic to the movie, but the filmmaker doesn’t use it as a crutch like some others do, which is again a relief. The dynamic, like the prison backdrop is only part of the scenery and never really much more. Awards aside, I feel like this movie is well worth the watch, so enjoy.
(I apologize if I have made any cultural errors, French/Muslim/Islamic, etc, I assure you it was out of ignorance not malice)