A PROPHET — ★★★1/2 — Tahar Rahim, Niels Arestrup, Adel Bencherif; with English subtitles (French and Arabic dialects); rated R (violence, profanity, drugs, sex, slurs, gore, vulgarity, nudity, torture); Broadway Centre
"A Prophet" doesn't deliver any revelations.
What the film does deliver, though, is an unforgettably vivid depiction of organized crime in Europe.
And, given that much of its story takes place in prison, the film may remind some of the HBO series "Oz."
Obviously, that means it's not an easy film to watch. But some very strong performances and some smart material certainly help.
That's especially true of the lead turn given by Tahar Rahim, who stars as Malik El Djebena. This Algerian teen has been sent to a French prison for assaulting a police officer.
Malik is also somewhat uneducated but quickly receives an education in the ways of the world, as well as how things work behind bars.
Fortunately, he becomes a "made man" — thanks to Cesar Luciani (Niels Arestrup), a crime boss who's serving an even-longer sentence in prison.
Cesar is trying to find someone to execute a recently incarcerated snitch and decides Malik is the man for the job.
Though he's hesitant, Malik goes through with the killing and begins his rise to power, though his mixed heritage means he's distrusted by his criminal cohorts and fellow Arabs.
Co-screenwriter/director Jacques Audiard strives to make this tale as gritty and authentic as possible. He even adopts a pseudo-documentary style at first, though that is toned down quickly and the movie takes on a more standard format.
Still, there are some off-putting and even bizarre moments — including fantasy sequences in which Malik imagines he's still living with the man he killed.
Yet for all its harshness and two-hour-plus running time, it's surprisingly compelling.
Some credit for that needs to go to relative newcomer Rahim, who makes a convincing transformation from an initially wide-eyed hoodlum to a manipulative schemer whose ambitions rival those of his supposed benefactor.
His is one of the best performances in the film, though veteran Arestrup and Adel Bencherif both bring some needed intensity as well.
"A Prophet" is rated R and features strong, occasionally disturbing violent content and imagery (gunplay and shootings, stabbings and slashings, various beatings, vehicular mayhem and some implied sexual violence), strong sexual language (profanity, vulgar slang and other suggestive talk and references), strong drug content (references to and use of hashish, marijuana and narcotics), simulated sex and other sexual contact (both gay and straight), derogatory language and slurs (some based on nationality, ethnic heritage or sexual orientation), some bloody and gory imagery, other off-color references, female and full male nudity, and a sequence depicting torture. Running time: 149 minutes.
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