tecnoandre 12/16/2011 (0 of 0 found this helpful)

Rating of
2.5/4 

French prison film directed by Jacques Audiard. Audiard claims that the film aims at "creating icons, images for people who don't have images in movies, like the Arabs in France," though he also had stated that the film "has nothing to do with his vision of society," and is a work of fiction. Malik El Djebena (Tahar Rahim), nineteen years old, French of Algerian descent, is sentenced to six years in prison for attacking police officers. Alone and illiterate upon his arrival, he falls under the sway of Corsican mobsters, led by Cesar Luciani (Niels Arestrup), who enforces a brutal rule.Rough and tense movie with a poetic stream.Good work.

dukeakasmudge 08/18/2011 (0 of 0 found this helpful)

Rating of
3/4 

Very good French prison flick about a guy who starts out at the very bottom of a prison gang & works his way to the top.Shows that the person you over look might just be the person you need to watch out for

mitchellyoung 07/09/2011 (0 of 0 found this helpful)

Rating of
3.5/4 

An engaging and gritty film that manages to stand out from typical crime or prison films because of its unflinching commitment to its characters and their relationships. The rivalry between the Muslims and the Corsicans is interesting and the various heists and drug rings present in the film are handled with blunt realism, rather than Hollywood flair.

Bribaba 05/04/2011 (0 of 0 found this helpful)

Rating of
4/4 

Jacques Audiard’s compelling prison drama borrows heavily from Jacques Becker's Le Tru, but the idea of using a few real cons and non actors is more of a logical step rather than plagiarism. The narrative of a young and somewhat reluctant petty criminal rising through the ranks to become 'the man', has something in common with The Godfather. Audiard previously showed off his chops with The Beat My Heart Skipped (a remake of Fingers) and good as that was, this takes him to a whole new level. The narrative construction and the performances, particularly the two leads are both top class and show why this garnered awards at festivals like Cannes. The classy closing shot provides a fitting finale.

Alex 04/27/2011 (0 of 0 found this helpful)

Rating of
3/4 

A solid movie worth a look for those of you tired of the standard fare. It is not an amazing film as some people have touted but it is a breath of fresh air. The downside is that this movie is 2.5 hours long and the story line does not need this length to make it good. Great acting and many good scenes. Solid.