Synopsis:

A young Arab man is sent to a French prison where he becomes a mafia kingpin.

The Freak's Rating: B+ : Another wonderful foreign film that is completely captivating, A Prophet is very Godfather-esque with its tension, especially during the initial moments of the primary character's conversion from an everday criminal to a mafia hitman. There is much praise to be laid upon this film for its complete devotion to the personal struggles and trials to obtain true respect in a culture primarily based on thugs, drug use and crime.

Acting is solid, but a tad less than what I'd like to see out of the main character, Tahar Rahim. Had a more solid performance been given, this is an easy A. Other acting in the film is vastly superior to Rahim's, only proving my point. Direction is tight, pacing is nicely done and the script is top notch.

With a slightly better lead actor and a few script tweaks this is a perfect film. On its own merit, it is worthy of every accolade it has received and certainly worthy of being mentioned at the Academy Awards as one of the best foreign films of the year.

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