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Back in early September, which feels longer ago than it probably should, regular commenter Chris offered the following (non-Oscar-related) prediction:
You need to see “A Prophet”, I saw it two days ago, and it’s such an amazing film. I don’t know if this makes any sense, but I’m predicting it to be on Guy Lodge’s top 10 of the year, just so you know what kind of film it is.
Either I am terribly predictable, or Chris is a very wise man — we’ll flatter us both and say the latter — but after staggering out of this morning’s London Film Festival press screening, I see no way this doesn’t come to pass.
There will likely be plenty of opportunities to discuss this stunner in the months to come (Kris already offered a brief take from Telluride), but suffice to say that the great Jacques Audiard has exceeded his previous career high-water mark, “The Beat That My Heart Skipped,” with this expansive, brutal, darkly funny and richly compassionate character study.
A ‘prison movie’ in approximately the same way that “Raging Bull” is a ‘boxing movie,’ “A Prophet” surprises with the heft and muscularity of its storytelling, given the delicate, whispery nature of Audiard’s previous work. It does, however, continue the auteur’s knack for mining astonishing breakout performances from young actors, as near- novice Tahar Rahim splinters the screen as a 19 year-old illiterate enduring the harshest passage into adulthood imaginable.
(The glory isn’t all his: veteran Niels Arestrup would be in the thick of Best Supporting Actor discussion for his terrifying, yet curiously vulnerable, performance as an aging prison don.)
“You work for an awards site,” Telegraph critic Tim Robey remarked to me, only semi-jokingly, after the screening. “Isn’t it now your job to remind everyone that this needs to get one of the 10 Best Picture slots?” For all my concerns that even the foreign-language branch won’t respond to filmmaking this blood-stained and hard-edged, I’ll do my best.
On a side note, I couldn’t help noticing that two of my favorite films of the year now feature thrilling sequences cut to the music of the same artist. (For his, Audiard has actually delved into the upper reaches of my iPod’s most-played list.) Is Nas a new art-house standby?
11 responses so far
1 10-24-2009 at 12:10 pm
James D. said...
When it comes to your Top Ten, all French films get a +1.
2 10-24-2009 at 1:41 pm
red_wine said...
Well now I see how your Cannes winners would have turned out. You had remarked it would be a shame if even a single foreign language film misses the cut with 10 nominees. Much more than The White Ribbon could this film be it? Maybe Best Director and Best Screenplay?
I think NSFC will surely give Best Picture to either this or The White Ribbon. But for now, The White Ribbon seems to be winning the awards battle. Lets see who wins in London.
3 10-24-2009 at 2:33 pm
Morgan said...
This was by far my favorite at Telluride. I was completely exhausted and really close to the screen (which is something that usually drives me insane) but I hardly blinked once the entire film. Amazing.
4 10-24-2009 at 3:23 pm
Patryk said...
If this is half as good as “Beat,” I will be happy.
5 10-24-2009 at 3:34 pm
adelutza said...
It’s very good and I enjoyed it immensely but for me the Audiard number 1 is still “Sur mes lèvres”
6 10-24-2009 at 4:19 pm
Guy Lodge said...
James: I’ve loved a lot of French-language fare lately, true. But I think we’re in the middle of a purple patch for French filmmaking — if I cast my mind back a few years, I can’t think of nearly as many that took my fancy.
Anyway, so many people’s lists give American films a +10 that I feel no need to make excuses.
7 10-24-2009 at 4:36 pm
James D. said...
I agree completely, Guy. The Class, The Diving Bell and Butterfly, I’ve Loved You so Long, all great films.
8 10-24-2009 at 4:57 pm
Robin said...
Couldn’t agree more, this was the best film I saw at T.I.F.F. this year by far. Do you know if it’s eligible for this year’s Oscars (other than in the Foreign Film category)? According to IMdB (not the most reliable source, I know) it says this isn’t slated for release in the USA until Feb. 2010…which is a damn shame because I would LOVE to see Rahim and Arestrup sneak into Best Actor/Supporting Actor, which might even be possible this year because both categories do not particularly strong at the moment.
9 10-24-2009 at 5:46 pm
Chris said...
I’m glad you liked it ; and I’m happy I was right. Maybe I should include the film in my predictions for the Academy’s top 10 – I might have unknown super powers. :) I was one of the few people who predicted “Atonement” when most people were backing “Into the Wild” and “Diving Bell” two years ago, so who knows?
I’m kidding, but seriously, I think “A Prophet” is such a wonderful piece of film, it should at least get a Foreign Language nomination. It is not as bleak as “Gomorra”, so I think it should be able to make the cut.
10 10-24-2009 at 10:21 pm
daveylow said...
I would love to see A Prophet win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. Wishful thinking.
11 10-24-2009 at 11:49 pm
Kevin said...
I predicted “Atonement”… who seriously was predicting “Into the Wild” ( did omit Juno for Diving Bell though, quite a silly misstep on my part given the Academy’s bias against recognising ‘foreign’ fare in the top category).
On topic, Kris and now you Guy have raved (so it seems) about this film. Suffice to say my expectations are high – can’t wait!