Title: Gomorrah
Rating (out of 100): 90
Mood: contemplative, sad, tragic
Website: http://www.gomorrahmovie.co.uk/
Timeout / Culture Critic: http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/85793/Gomorrah.html / http://www.culturecritic.co.uk/cinema/gomorrah/
(Italian, with subtitles): Sort of reminds me of an Italian version of Boyz n the Hood showing the difficulties of growing up and living in a society where corruption and crime are so intrinsically tied to every aspect of life. This movie examines how life is in a society, where people are forced to make compromises yet struggle with the same emotions of all humans (the desire for self-preservation, family honour, and the ambition of youth). A fascinating, if scary and harrowing, study of several intertwined stories of various people in Italy and the choices they make when faced with such rules. Aside from the story line, which is dramatic and compelling, tragic and occasionally uplifting, the film is visually stunning. From the beginning sequence in the tanning booth to the sequence that is shot from above of a man walking through corpses, the film’s muted colours work. An overall depressing movie, but one that is very enlightening (especially the end of the movie that gives some statistics on organized crime in Italy as context).
