A Prophet (Un prophete) (2009)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Albert K

  
  The first 30 minutes is so marvelously orchestrated. The rest of the movie doesn't capture the same tension but it is still an incredibly rich and engaging movie. Gritty, riveting, and powerful, you'll be thinking about this movie, weeks after watching it.

• Jan Marc M

  
  A Prophet is a crime drama thriller vividly featuring a hard-fought survival and position in power at a prison caste system in fine and original detail. Surpassing of conventions that aggressively underscores the dynamics of power, politics, spirituality, and gang economics and… More
  A Prophet is a crime drama thriller vividly featuring a hard-fought survival and position in power at a prison caste system in fine and original detail. Surpassing of conventions that aggressively underscores the dynamics of power, politics, spirituality, and gang economics and culture, A Prophet is a rare masterpiece of its genre that leaves an arresting impression.

• Dean M

  
  It was incredible story as director Jacques Audiard is in love with the promise and potential of the crime thriller genre. As small-time teen crim Malik, Tahar Rahim shifts from wary tough-nut to keen student to aloof enigma in the furrow of a brow. It's a masterful performance… More
  It was incredible story as director Jacques Audiard is in love with the promise and potential of the crime thriller genre. As small-time teen crim Malik, Tahar Rahim shifts from wary tough-nut to keen student to aloof enigma in the furrow of a brow. It's a masterful performance but it has to be, as Audiard's roving camera never leaves him. Regarded as a dirty Arab by the Corsican cons and a greasy Corsican by the Arab inmates, Malik is our guide through the nightmare labyrinth of the French penal system and its network of warring tribes. Characters introduced with chapterised freeze-frames and cool intertitles are passed over or forgotten about (most unforgivably, fellow inmate Reyeb himself), while bigger ideas like Malik's ability to see into the future (the prophecies of the title) and his status as a hero within the narrative just seem confused.

• Chris W

  
  It's nice to see a crime drama/prison film not made by or in the United States. That's what this is: a French film about an Arab criminal who goes to prison with nothing, and leaves as the king of a criminal empire. Great rags to riches story with a new twist on things.… More
  It's nice to see a crime drama/prison film not made by or in the United States. That's what this is: a French film about an Arab criminal who goes to prison with nothing, and leaves as the king of a criminal empire. Great rags to riches story with a new twist on things. That's pretty much the plot, plain and simple. This film isn't about plot though, but is instead a character study which gets into the heads of the characters, and also explores the French prison system, and the dynamics between the ethnic groups housed within, specifically the two main factions: the Corsicans (the long time power holders among the prisoners), and the Muslims, the up and comers. The film's protagonist Malik is Arab, and when he enters prison, he is 19 and iliterate. He becomes a pawn of the Corsican leader, but soon gets his own plan into motion. The film pretty much sticks to reality ,save for some odd scenes where Malik is visited by the ghost of a guy he was forced to kill. These scenes arwen't bad, but with the way they are handled, they aren't really used to their full potential, and seem like they'd be better off cut out of things. I liked how, even though familiar beats are hit, the film isn't completely formulaic or predictable. Also, there's some really interesting (and cool) music selections. The cinematography is good too. This film though, is all about the characters, so the performances are where it's really at. Tahar Rahim is great as Malik, and he brings a quiet intenisty and intriguing enigmaticness to things. Niels Arestrup is strong as the brutal, intense Corsican leader, and supporting players like Adel Bencherif are good too. At roughly 155 minutes, and with a pretty deliberate pace, this film is not for the fidgety. There's violence yes, but this isn't an exploitation film, so it's not wall to wall with it, although it is very graphic and realistic when it comes up. I liked that thios film touched upon the dynamic of ethnic/race relations, and it's cool seeing the penal system of a foreign country, but I wanted more of the former, and am unsure as to how realistically ortrayed the latter is. Still though, this is all some very good stuff, even if the film is merely just really good instead of the masterpiece that some have heralded it to be.

• Lady D

  
  A very believable, Gritty Prison Drama, sometimes slow moving (and I personally felt I lost a little of the information in the film because of that) but a compelling tale with realistic acting and surroundings etc. Possibly worth watching twice to make sure the whole story has been… More
  A very believable, Gritty Prison Drama, sometimes slow moving (and I personally felt I lost a little of the information in the film because of that) but a compelling tale with realistic acting and surroundings etc. Possibly worth watching twice to make sure the whole story has been digested, but certainly one of the best Prison Dramas ever.

• Idrees K

  
  Interesting character study. It's ironic how prison made him a criminal, but I guess nowadays, that isn't too far from the truth. Great movie.

• Shawn E

  
  The story was a bit slow for my taste, but I found it's realistic view on prison life quite interesting.

• Cynthia S

  
  One of the most epic foreign films since City of God. This film had me glued to the television so that I would not lose anything in translation. Filmed beautifully, and directed very well. The complexity of the characters, and plot development is masterful. If you appreciate great… More
  One of the most epic foreign films since City of God. This film had me glued to the television so that I would not lose anything in translation. Filmed beautifully, and directed very well. The complexity of the characters, and plot development is masterful. If you appreciate great cinema, you will appreciate this film.

• Thomas B

  
  Compelling, powerful, beautiful. Full review later.

• Mark W

  
  Director Jacques Audiard's last criminal outing was "The Beat That My Heart Skipped", a remake of the 1978 film "Fingers", about a petty hood who has dreams of being a concert pianist. This time he tackles the story of a petty hood trying to survive a French… More
  Director Jacques Audiard's last criminal outing was "The Beat That My Heart Skipped", a remake of the 1978 film "Fingers", about a petty hood who has dreams of being a concert pianist. This time he tackles the story of a petty hood trying to survive a French correctional facility. Sent down for six years for an unspecified crime, illiterate French-Arab teen Malik El Djebena (Tahar Rahim) is initiated into the prison's criminal underworld. A fast learner, he soon starts to plot his rapid ascendancy through the violent and brutal hierarchy of his fellow inmates to become a formidable player and slowly builds a criminal empire of his own. This is an unrelenting and savage look at the French penal system and the visciousness involved in just getting through each day. Hardly ever off screen, it boasts an excellent and charismatic lead performance from Tahar Rahim as the young inauspicious protaganist. He's entirely convincing in his tranformation and growth from nervous petty criminal to confident and brutal mastermind and is aided with fine support from Niels Arestrup as his menacing patriarchal boss. The problem I found with it though, was it's length. At well over 2 hours, the rigourousness is relentless and despite it magnificently capturing the grim surroundings of the prison, it utimately is confined - for most of the film - like it's characters and unable to offer anything new from it's concrete hell, that hasn't already been done before. I also struggled to see the point of Malik's prophetic gift. It gave no explanation for his sporadic prophetic visions and added very little to the story - despite it also assuming the title of the film. It could quite easily have been left out altogether. However, these are minor gripes and I probably wouldn't mention them if this film wasn't being hailed as a masterpiece. It's not, but it's still a film of real quality and packed full of tense, dangerous and claustraphobic moments. Despite feeling like I was doing a little time myself towards the end, this is still a very accomplished and ferocious crime film.

• Drew S

  
  A Prophet is a beautifully textured and hued movie trapped inside a dull genre. Audiard attempts to circumvent some of the obvious challenges of making a prison film with vague supernatural touches to offset the bleakness and by giving Malik occasional "outside days" where… More
  A Prophet is a beautifully textured and hued movie trapped inside a dull genre. Audiard attempts to circumvent some of the obvious challenges of making a prison film with vague supernatural touches to offset the bleakness and by giving Malik occasional "outside days" where he's free to run around and traffic drugs, and these touches do liven the proceedings considerably. The movie's always at its most exciting when Malik has escaped the prison, largely because that's the only time it ever seems to break from unavoidable cliche. The tale is incontrovertibly absorbing, a big chunk of tautly-written formula done both properly and with great artistry, but after all is said and done the cumulative effects of what Malik endures seem awfully expected. My other reservation with A Prophet is with Malik himself. He's a complete charismatic black hole. Though he isn't necessarily without personality characteristics, as evidenced by a subtle drive to learn and improve and a not-no-subtle mean streak, his stylistic illiteracy doesn't really seem to jive with the occasional artsy flourishes of the rest of the film. The viewer's eye strays toward the politics of the prison versus the young boy maneuvering through them, simply because the former is that much more alive. Malik's a boring man, which is mostly a curse, but also creates some interesting tensions throughout the film. His lack of character is an intentional choice meant to supplant him into the ranks of the Corsicans to move the plot forward. Seen but not heard, his implied promotions from "errand bitch" to "drug runner" to "honorary Corsican kingpin" feel surprisingly organic, largely because he barely seems aware of them himself, let alone enough to comment on them. Tahar Rahim's performance is great, not self-congratulatory and modest to his castmates; he throws just enough illumination on his very few vulnerable or clever moments, not overdoing or underdoing them. He's a very conscientious, smart actor, and really the reason why this character isn't a complete failure. I think he could have been more interesting, but through no fault of Rahim's own. Frankly, that's how I feel about the whole movie - it's a more-than-competent treatment of material that doesn't always shine. Perhaps I was expecting something a little more original, or even something more formally unusual, but what I got was a rock-solid prison flick. Not a versatile genre, but I can recognize its value; honestly, though, there's nothing here that The Shawshank Redemption didn't cover, albeit in a more squeaky-clean sort of way. They're both worth seeing, but I think that with every incarceration tale I watch the limits of the genre become more and more evident.

• Tony G

  
  As petty criminal Malik El Djebena (Tahar Rahim) is checked into prison, you anticipate all the characteristic prison movie conventions - the racial divides, the brutal conditions, the violent clashes - and French film "A Prophet" has all of those. But over the next 2… More
  As petty criminal Malik El Djebena (Tahar Rahim) is checked into prison, you anticipate all the characteristic prison movie conventions - the racial divides, the brutal conditions, the violent clashes - and French film "A Prophet" has all of those. But over the next 2 hours, "A Prophet" doesn't concern itself with educating about prison life, instead it's a gripping account of the streetwise savviness of Arab Malik El Djebena as he becomes an integral part of the Arab-hating Corsican mafia due to his completion of a violent assignment for them. During the course of Malik's stay in prison, he is reborn and transforms himself into an educated and influential figure. His journey there is a gripping and remarkable one - and makes "A Prophet" terrific. When the onus of a film's success hinges on the journey of one character it's crucial to get an actor up to the task and Tahar Rahim is a revelation. Rahim's presence commands attention and his superb portrayal draws you in and doesn't let go. "A Prophet" is a marvelous tale of survival and growth with realistic depictions of violent, racially-charged life in prison. This Academy Award nominee is worthy.

• Jake .

  
  There is no denying that Un Prophet is a masterpiece in just about every way possible, but it really did not leave me feeling or thinking about any specific. Even with that in mind, my only real complaint would be the length. It took me six or seven viewings to make it through the… More
  There is no denying that Un Prophet is a masterpiece in just about every way possible, but it really did not leave me feeling or thinking about any specific. Even with that in mind, my only real complaint would be the length. It took me six or seven viewings to make it through the whole thing. Even though I liked the film a lot, this seems like a rather large commitment. In most ways, though, the film is impeccable. The story, characters, acting, style, etc are all great. Despite the length I was never bored. To go back to the begining, the only reason I cannot rave is because I'm not totally sure what to rave about. The film is fascinating, yes; but to what end? Idk, maybe it truly lacked focus or maybe I'm being obtuse. Either way, despite some minor flaws Un Prophet would still be a 'must see' film.

• Thomas J

  
  With French, Spanish and Portuguese audio tracks all this movie needed for me was an English audio track. Really good movie... but depending on subtitles is a little to distracting... otherwise - GREAT MOVIE!! Tahar Rahim has a great acting career ahead of him.

• Stella D

  
  some may think this genre played out; they haven't seen this yet. tho the plot is reminiscent of the godfather or goodfellas gone to prison there's still not a dull moment here thanks to a star-making performance by tahar rahim, a guy with only one previous film credit, a… More
  some may think this genre played out; they haven't seen this yet. tho the plot is reminiscent of the godfather or goodfellas gone to prison there's still not a dull moment here thanks to a star-making performance by tahar rahim, a guy with only one previous film credit, a bit part in the 2007 horror À l'intérieur. he certainly proves himself this time out, in arabic, corsican and french! the way fate and his own will conspire in his rise from a raw and frightened boy to a man of power and respect makes for a remarkable ride. dream sequences are spooky and wonderfully done. well on his way to a criminal empire, our 'hero' still shows touching signs of humanity, as when he rides in an airplane for the first time and we catch him smiling out the window like a kid. interesting soundtrack, mostly in english, including a country version of mack the knife over the end credits! i'll be looking into this director's previous work for sure.

• Corey W

  
  A gnaw-bitting, brutal prison gangster film. Not only is this one of 2010's best, but, one of my new favorites. "Un Prophete" re-defines the word "EXCELLENT".

• Alireza M

  
  A masterpiece, and of the best movies of alltimes.Its so deep,flawless and obviously ahead of its similar classics.We rarely see such a subtle metaphor in movies.Besides A Prophet,Jacques Audiard has two more powerful and complicated crime dramas(The Beat That My Heart Skipped and… More
  A masterpiece, and of the best movies of alltimes.Its so deep,flawless and obviously ahead of its similar classics.We rarely see such a subtle metaphor in movies.Besides A Prophet,Jacques Audiard has two more powerful and complicated crime dramas(The Beat That My Heart Skipped and Read My Lips).I recommend these too.

• Aaron N

  
  Luciani: One more thing - Now that you know the plan, if you don't kill him, we will kill you. A very well made film, set behind bars, as we follow a young protagonist who is forced to endure the hardships of prison. Early on a great deal of tension is established for his first… More
  Luciani: One more thing - Now that you know the plan, if you don't kill him, we will kill you. A very well made film, set behind bars, as we follow a young protagonist who is forced to endure the hardships of prison. Early on a great deal of tension is established for his first year, which is followed up by a more crime family focus, akin to something like Goodfellas behind bars almost the entire time. The film is well made, but brutal; with a solid cast, a great handling of the cinematography, and very well made in all its other aspects. Nineteen year-old Franco-Arab Malik El Djebena is just starting his six year prison sentence in Brecourt. Although he has spent the better part of his life in juvenile detention, this stint is his first in an adult prison. Beyond the division of Corsicans and Muslims in the prison (the Corsicans who with their guard connections rule what happens in the prison), he has no known friends or enemies inside. He is just hoping to serve his time in peace and without incident, despite having no prospects once he's out of jail since he's illiterate and has no support outside of the prison. Due to logistics, the head of Corsican inmates, a sadistic mafioso named César Luciani, co-opts Malik as part of the Corsicans' activities, not only regarding what happens inside the prison, but also continued criminal activities outside. The innocent Malik has no idea what to do but cooperate. This move does not sit well with the other Corsicans, who only see Malik as a dirty Arab, and the Muslims who now mistrust him. As time goes by, Malik does manage to become quite the hire up in this world, which may only help him to survive. This film had me in its early plot development, as Malik has just arrived in prison and is forced to join the Corsicans by participating in a murder. The way the entire sequence is handled - the setup, the execution, and the effect on Malik afterward, was just a wonderful element of this movie. Following that, the shift that goes somewhat from prison thriller to prison mob business was still a fantastic watch. Tahar Rahim as Malik is stellar. A young man forced to go through a lot of different dark places, but applying his abilities at being a fast learner, Rahim was always convincing in the role. The superb supporting cast, which includes Niels Arestrup as the seedy mob boss Luciani, also all aid greatly in this film. Despite the dark material and harsh environment, this is a great looking film as well. Stark and cold on the inside of a prison, as it should, there is fantastic work done to make this film reflect its tone through its cinematography. There are some other elements to the film as well, highlighting some unique experiences that Malik goes through, which also work to heighten the visual experience. This is really a great film, that I was just drawn into from the get-go. Ryad: What are you? A prophet or something?

• Lanning :

  
  At 2 hours and 30 minutes, this unending downer feels like serving prison time. Unless you've committed a crime for which you've not been punished, you shouldn't feel the need to serve a self-imposed sentence in this slammer. <p> The highlight list? Let's… More
  At 2 hours and 30 minutes, this unending downer feels like serving prison time. Unless you've committed a crime for which you've not been punished, you shouldn't feel the need to serve a self-imposed sentence in this slammer. <p> The highlight list? Let's see what's celebrated here. Learning to read and write. Check. That's about it for the good news. <p>The lowlight list? How about slamming Corsicans and Muslims, to name a few. Check. Killing frequently and getting better at it all the time. Check. Doing drugs and dealing drugs, and getting better at it all the time. Check. It's done all the time, so why don't we dump on prison guards, too. Check.<p> I've never been to prison, knock on wood, but I still have to imagine that there's a bit of a credibility issue with the "truth" of this portrayal. I tell you. I cannot begin to fathom the rapturous appeal of this movie for the critics.

• Carlos M

  
  A compelling, blistering French gangster film that depicts the many brutal changes a man goes through after entering prison, and the 19-year-old Arab-Corsican delinquent who slowly learns to become a murderer is much impressively performed by relatively newcomer Tahar Rahim.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings