The Prophet

I drove down to New York City a couple of weeks ago to donate 7 boxes of books and one box of movie DVDs and music CDs. I could have just cashed in or traded my books but the cause that I gave to was Housing Works, which provide support to those with AIDS who are having issues with a place to stay while they are dying or dealing with life with HIV.  Having lived in Manhattan and taken much of time while living there for granted when living there.  When I visit it now, I attempt to do something which is eventful enough worthy of trip, the city and the energy and money that it takes to make the road trip from New England. I had meant to see a some Asian movies but it wasn't meant to be but I did show up on the Upper West Side in time to see The Prophet. I had read some good reviews about the movie but since my glasses were broke at the time. Out of 104 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, it had 100 good reviews out of 104 , so I knew that I would see it at some point.

To see a movie with subtitles was ruled out to meet a friend in Chinatown for some Dim Sum. It was a good move, the company was good, the food was excellent and I had no regrets. It was just a movie, granted this movie was only playing in New York and LA (that kind of exclusitivity has always appealed to me), so I knew that I would be able to watch it at some point and I chose to wait.

That wait ended last night when I watched The Prophet was playing in Providence at the Avon Cinema but I only had a number of days until it went somewhere else. Being Irish, it was a strange choice of something to do for St Patrick's Day but I was very curious about this movie.
The movie is about an Arab who goes is in jail in France, young, bi lingual (in French and Arabic) but iliterate in the skills of reading or writing the languages which he speaks. While in jail, he is given an ulitmative from a Corsican crime boss to kill a fellow Muslim passing through or get killed by the crime boss or kill a rat passing through their jail. Once he "makes his bones", he starts climbing through the ranks of the prison, playing event opportunity and groups against each other until he is released from jail; master of his own criminal universe.
Actually, I like this summary of the plot better...
In plot the film appears to be nothing more than middle-of-the-road. A young man from an immigrant background, Malik, is thrown in prison for 6 years. Almost immediately he’s preyed upon by thieves and sexual predators. But worst of all, an entrepreneurial Corsican gangster known as Cesar sees the potential in using Malik to get access to the “Arab” section of the jail. And so Malik must decide to kill the enemy of the Corsican or face being killed for disobeying. But Malik turns the table himself, and begins to develop a drug business through his multiple connections.  This movie has won many awards and they are well deserved. I found it very enjoyable and worth the second effort to go and see.