Gomorrah (Gomorra) (2008)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Tim S

  
  Gomorra is one of those films that seemingly comes out of nowhere. It isn't a complex film with a lot of plot details or major characters to deal with. Rather it spends its time with various groups of people, living their daily lives in dark places. What I like most about the… More
  Gomorra is one of those films that seemingly comes out of nowhere. It isn't a complex film with a lot of plot details or major characters to deal with. Rather it spends its time with various groups of people, living their daily lives in dark places. What I like most about the film is how dirty it is. It's nowhere near clean or clear-cut. You feel dirty just being a part of the world as you experience it and can't really escape, which is what the film's characters are going through. You're just sort of dropped in this world and the only way out is by either dying or shutting the film off. It suffers slightly from a slow pace, but storywise it really keeps you on edge. If you're looking for comparisons, here's an easy one: if Traffic and The Departed got married and had an Italian child, it would be Gomorra. Not the best of comparisons, but it's pretty accurate.

• Lucas M

  
  Histórias de pessoas que tentam sobreviver num suburbio, onde a lei do mais forte à (C) a que vale. Matteo Garrone nos mostra uma realidade que poucos conhecem das familias de classe baixa mà (C)dia italianas, que enfrentam a mafia napolitana. Realista e polêmico.

• Anatoliy D

  
  wts

• Red L

  
  It may be non-fiction, but it is pretty hard to watch. You need to take notes and watch it twice to get all the characters straight. It would help if I spoke Italian and didn't have to read the sub-titles.

• Stefanie C

  
  Bleak, brutal, and apocalyptic! This is the underbelly of Naples, revealing the insidious, ubiquitous presence of the Cammora. From gang wars, drugs, toxic waste, haute couture, to reinvestment of funds for legitimate businesses, every one is involved and effected by the… More
  Bleak, brutal, and apocalyptic! This is the underbelly of Naples, revealing the insidious, ubiquitous presence of the Cammora. From gang wars, drugs, toxic waste, haute couture, to reinvestment of funds for legitimate businesses, every one is involved and effected by the organization. Even with the stark vision, Garrone has created a film lover's film, with iconic references to Fellini, Antonioni, and American gangsterfilms. This is not a pleasant film, but it is an important one.

• danny d

  
  a harrowing look at the neapolitan mafia world. the stories could have been woven together a bit more tightly to increase the effectiveness of the film, but the images put to screen are memorable and the scope of the film appropriate for the story being told. overall an excellent… More
  a harrowing look at the neapolitan mafia world. the stories could have been woven together a bit more tightly to increase the effectiveness of the film, but the images put to screen are memorable and the scope of the film appropriate for the story being told. overall an excellent addition to the gangster genre.

• Derek A

  
  I had high expectations for this mob movie since it was labeled as a film that is greater than mob masterpiece's such as <i>Goodfellas</i> and <i>Scarface</i>. Haha, yeah, don't believe that load of crap! Also intriguing about this film was that it… More
  I had high expectations for this mob movie since it was labeled as a film that is greater than mob masterpiece's such as <i>Goodfellas</i> and <i>Scarface</i>. Haha, yeah, don't believe that load of crap! Also intriguing about this film was that it is based on facts, it's a pseudo contemporary mob story based on writing's by Roberto Saviano about the Italian criminal underbelly. Not only that, but the director Matteo Garrone had to be placed under protection for even making this film, and the original author is still in hiding! That's serious business....<p>Regardless, <i>Gomorrah</i> is a gangster film that follows many storylines at once. That seems to be the central problem: the audience is effortlessly introduced to so many characters with such confusing names that it's really hard to connect with any of them. This film is not flashy like a typical gangster film that we're accustomed to (like <i>Goodfellas</i> or <i>Scarface</i>), but it is very real. The violence is harrowing, and even more appalling because it's based off fact. However, the stories really don't go any where, and they serve no purpose other than to show that these crimes do exist. I really didn't feel bad for many of the victims, especially the two punk kids.<p>In essence, <i>Gomorrah</i> was boring as hell, and completely unengaging. Most of the film is pointless and it builds an eerie sense of dread and anticipation that ultimately goes no where. It's kind of like a cinematic version of blue balls. It's dimly effective, and serves more as a deconstruction of the gangster genre. I don't believe it brings anything new or inspiring to the table. Easily forgettable...

• Carlos M

  
  Based on a non-fiction book, this italian film is raw, brutal, visceral, sinister, appalling, completely non-romanticized and straight to the point, which is what really grabbed me.

• Robert C

  
  A disturbing, thought provoking and totally bleak look at the city of Naples and the crime/drug lords that wreak havoc there. The film does a good job at creating a very "fly on the wall" feeling and the acting and vilolence is very realistic. While initially I felt that… More
  A disturbing, thought provoking and totally bleak look at the city of Naples and the crime/drug lords that wreak havoc there. The film does a good job at creating a very "fly on the wall" feeling and the acting and vilolence is very realistic. While initially I felt that the film was a little rough and unpolished, I can not help but think that perhaps that was the intent.

• Tsubaki S

  
  This is one of those rare ocassions where making a movie as dry as possible is the only way to tell this kind of story. Lacking any conventional narrative trick or angle, any genre convention you could expect is thrown out of the windows. No heroes, no characters to cheer for, nobody… More
  This is one of those rare ocassions where making a movie as dry as possible is the only way to tell this kind of story. Lacking any conventional narrative trick or angle, any genre convention you could expect is thrown out of the windows. No heroes, no characters to cheer for, nobody to "identify" with. It's not a movie about the big mobsters, but the foot soldiers, and because of this the movie has more power. It's depressing and it will drain you, but tha's how it's suppose to be. People crying about this not being like City of God are missing the point completely. Some other narrative swamps here and there do cut some of the flow of the movie from time to time. In some ways it's cold approach to the subject is both it's virtue and sometimes a flaw. Ultimately Gomorra will leave you exhausted, the scope and depth of the problem is so vast you will dizzy just thinking about it.

• Anthony L

  
  Pretty gritty stuff. Not as brutal as the hype led me to believe but this certainly isn't the Godfather, this is nasty mafia shit man! Acting and direction impeccable.

• Stella D

  
  very raw and real. intertwining stories show some of the effects of the camorra crime syndicate on people going about their lives in naples. the cutting among many characters can be a little confusing but overall the effect is powerful

• Gordon A

  
  Complex interwoven story of 5 characters caught up in urban gangster life in Italy. Its structure causes problems on two counts - for outsiders it makes no concessions with context or scene setting so following the different strands requires careful attention and the constant jumping… More
  Complex interwoven story of 5 characters caught up in urban gangster life in Italy. Its structure causes problems on two counts - for outsiders it makes no concessions with context or scene setting so following the different strands requires careful attention and the constant jumping between stories breaks up the flow too much. That said it has a gritty authenticity to it and the variety of stories explore themes not normally seen in gangster films.

• Mike S

  
  Original and fairly interesting crime drama, about the modern day mafia in the Italian suburbs. The reality-based view, accompanied by some refreshingly authentic acting, made for a compelling watch, and almost had me believe I was watching a documentary. Now, I was going to rate this… More
  Original and fairly interesting crime drama, about the modern day mafia in the Italian suburbs. The reality-based view, accompanied by some refreshingly authentic acting, made for a compelling watch, and almost had me believe I was watching a documentary. Now, I was going to rate this with 3½ stars at first (which is my standard grade for a movie I think is good, but not great). However, there were a few things that weighed the movie down for me, hence the lower rating. One such flaw is the apparent lack of character focus. There were so many people to keep track of, that it was hard to connect with any of them. Furthermore, there were a lot of scenes that I found to be quite slow and boring, which made it difficult at times to keep my eye-lids open. But apart from that, it's a decent and watchworthy piece of film-making. Certainly not the kind you see every day.

• Lady D

  
  Slightly disappointed in this one, only because it?s been my most anticipated film for the last couple of months and it didn?t quite deliver the heighth of my expectations, I found myself bored throughout most of the film, but found myself warming towards it in the last few scenes.… More
  Slightly disappointed in this one, only because it?s been my most anticipated film for the last couple of months and it didn?t quite deliver the heighth of my expectations, I found myself bored throughout most of the film, but found myself warming towards it in the last few scenes. Comparrisons have been made to ?City of God' and there is definitely a similar effect, in fact the acting and believability of this film is not in question as both were great. It was more to do with the structure of the storyline ? in that if someone asked me about the storyline of this film, all that I could tell them is it?s about drugs and killing. I?m sure of course, it will benefit from further viewings.

• Tim S

  
  An interesting film on a lot of levels. Like a lot of people, I have always liked mob movies. I grew up on the Godfather films and Goodfellas like everyone else. What I liked about this film is that it shows the mafia for what is really is and makes no bones about portraying these… More
  An interesting film on a lot of levels. Like a lot of people, I have always liked mob movies. I grew up on the Godfather films and Goodfellas like everyone else. What I liked about this film is that it shows the mafia for what is really is and makes no bones about portraying these guys as pieces of shit who destroy lives and entire communities for their own gain. The setting of the film (a slum somewhere in Italy) says everything. Normal, hard working people made to live like prisoners. Yet no one is clean, all with their hands in the cookie jar. The problems that I had with the film is that it is shot in what seems to be the European way of shooting these days. Lots of handheld and shots that go on (in this case especially) way too long. I understand it is to build tension (some of it really works), but there are times where it just feels boring. And some of the most interesting points of the film are not revealed until the end and it's done just as a little blurb at the end. I understand the author of the book on which the film is based is in hiding because he got too close to the truth. What scared the shit out of me was how many actions that this mafia was committing are done by a lot of corporations here in America. And I guess that's why I found the movie so affective.

• Nate Z

  
  [font=Arial][color=DarkRed] Gomorrah - In the Bible, God promised not to obliterate the town of Gomorrah if Abraham could find a righteous man. That didn't work out so well. This stirring Italian crime drama explores the long-reach of the Camorra crime syndicate stationed in… More
  [font=Arial][color=DarkRed] Gomorrah - In the Bible, God promised not to obliterate the town of Gomorrah if Abraham could find a righteous man. That didn't work out so well. This stirring Italian crime drama explores the long-reach of the Camorra crime syndicate stationed in Naples. The oldest Italian criminal organization is larger than the mafia, and the film's four overlapping narrative threads showcase how the Camorra has a grip on every industry. The usual criminal enterprises are there, from drug trafficking to hired murders, but the organization is also deeply involved in the fashion industry as well as toxic dumping; in a perfect metaphor for the entire film, the Camorra is profiting by burying toxic death just below the surface. The objective docu-drama style lends disturbing reality to the ordeal, though the screenwriting too often feels like a pumped-up "true crime" novel - there's far more emphasis on the minute details than the people. The movie makes empathy nearly impossible, not that this is necessarily a stinging detriment. The movie steers away from the excitement of violence and instead the death is merciless and swift and unexpected. [i]Gomorrah[/i] strips away all the romantic notions involved with the gangster lifestyle; the two teenage gangster wannabes who quote Tony Montana are in for a rude awakening by the established toughs. The movie can be punishing and bleak but it's always fascinating and told with factual backing that makes it spooky. It may not be as powerful or intense as 2002's [i]City of God[/i], but this is certainly one movie that can be punishing and bleak but it's always fascinating. Nate's Grade: A- [/color][/font]

• Mister C

  
  Based on the 2006 expose of the same title by the Italian journalist Roberto Saviano,this corrosive,ferociously unsentimental fictionalized at the dizzying expose of organised crime in Italy is one of the year's best. Director Matteo Garrone brings you the upfront and explicitly… More
  Based on the 2006 expose of the same title by the Italian journalist Roberto Saviano,this corrosive,ferociously unsentimental fictionalized at the dizzying expose of organised crime in Italy is one of the year's best. Director Matteo Garrone brings you the upfront and explicitly violent look at the Italian Mafia and its operations is hard-hitting and gritty and its never lets up. The violence is "raw" and real and its more sentimental to anything crime movie ever devised today. Worthing seeing as one of the best films of 2009.

• Luke B

  
  I doubt any rap stars will be showing off their Gomorra posters and DVD's on Cribs anytime soon. This is no glorification of the criminal underworld. This is City of God style raw grit. Gomorra has a much larger scope than most "gangster" movies. Here we see how the… More
  I doubt any rap stars will be showing off their Gomorra posters and DVD's on Cribs anytime soon. This is no glorification of the criminal underworld. This is City of God style raw grit. Gomorra has a much larger scope than most "gangster" movies. Here we see how the corruption runs deep affecting the countryside, the fashion world, the young and so forth. Gomorra is more interested in painting a very real picture. This is at the expense of detailed characters and often winds up with a confusing plot. Overall this is expertly handled and executed. No judgement is passed, just situations presented. But with a lack of real emotion to connect with the film could alienate much of its audience.

• Cassandra M

  
  #4: Gomorra Gomorra came down like an atom bomb just as we were settling down to our annual best-of-the-year list and blew most of the competition away. A dizzying expose of organised crime in Naples, Gomorra just sprawls all over the screen, telling dozens of stories in a bewildering… More
  #4: Gomorra Gomorra came down like an atom bomb just as we were settling down to our annual best-of-the-year list and blew most of the competition away. A dizzying expose of organised crime in Naples, Gomorra just sprawls all over the screen, telling dozens of stories in a bewildering variety of styles. The overall effect is a genuinely frightening sense of chaos held barely in check, and Gomorra packs a mighty punch. Best bit: The terrifying realisation that the Italian Mafia is still just as alive as it was under Vito Corleone, if not more so...

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