Gomorra (Garrone, 2008) - Cannes '08 Grand Prize Winner
 

Gomorra (Garrone, 2008)
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Finally managed to catch this Neapolitan crime drama at the Wellington Film Fest, having opened to stellar reviews and acclaim at Cannes earlier this year (was the favourite at one point by most for the Palme d'Or). If Coppola glorified and made the mafia operatic for the sake of entertainment, and Scorsese/Chase exposed the working class criminal, Garrone here shoots for something different -- in his uber-realistic, verite approach he reveals the underlying impoverishment and desperation as families scramble to survive.

This is unflinching cinema, edited and shot in such a way that eschews everything you might expect when you hear "Neapolitan Crime Drama", just as "4 Months ..." did when (I, at least) heard the term "Romanian Abortion Movie". It's unflattering cinematography -- mostly in the slums of Naples but even of the traditionally beautiful Venice -- effectively cast the mood that lingers over the entire film. Performances here are universally very good, but the script and plot can be confusing until the final 30 minutes or so, when threads coalesce and the film's political themes are brought to light without much heavy-handedness -- though I didn't care much for the direct comment at the end on the Comorra before the credits.

This is a film most will appreciate rather than adore. It's certainly not your next Goodfellas.

Just got tickets to catch this at the NYFF. Very excited.

Have any of you other guys been able to watch this one yet?

My friend saw it in Italy over the summer and said it's fantastic. Really curious about this one.

I could've sworn I had written something about this. Guess I was mistaken.

Gomorra is a fractured look at Napoli's <i>Camorra</i>, one of the three mob groups that rule Southern Italy. Unlike the more familiar Mafia, the Camorra operates less on honor and more on a ruthless form of capitalism known as The System. They are everywhere, deeply entrenched in politics, the fashion business, construction, retail, waste disposal, drugs, etc. The list goes on.

Matteo Garone takes us through this world without much explanation, which can be frustrating when you're not being amazed. You're dropped right into the middle of things, and the movie does not offer a beginning or end. While it's five storylines all have arcs, the movie's goal is to expose the camorra, in the way Roberto Saviano's non-fiction book did. It's a brutal, realistic, and ugly look at the hideous truth and its subject is the only reason it could never be a documentary.

It is, much, much closer to The Wire or Traffic than to The Godfather.

Re: Gomorra (Garrone, 2008) - Cannes '08 Grand Prize Winner
 

Gomorrah Poster Declares Itself As “The Greatest Mafia Movie Ever Made”

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This is the first time I have seen Martin Scorsese’s name attached as presenting it.
Gomorrah was one of my favorite movies of 2008. It's a captivating, documentary-style look into the modern-crime syndicate of Naples, Italy. Reminiscent of one of my favorite films, City of God, this pulls no punches either as we see nearly every aspect of crime in the city. If you haven’t seen it GO, now. Here is a trailer:

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Anyone else see this movie? It's so good.

Re: Gomorra (Garrone, 2008) - Cannes '08 Grand Prize Winner
 

I agree, the way the stories are edited at the beginning of the film, the rhythm and pacing does seem very much like "Traffic"

Re: Gomorra (Garrone, 2008) - Cannes '08 Grand Prize Winner
 

I still don't know why this isn't nominated for an Oscar...

Re: Gomorra (Garrone, 2008) - Cannes '08 Grand Prize Winner
 

As a piece of fictionalized reportage on organized crime, I don't think Gomorra has a peer. I especially agree with this: "Strips every last piece of romanticism from 'The Godfather' saga."

Re: Gomorra (Garrone, 2008) - Cannes '08 Grand Prize Winner
 

Watched this for the second time last night and was absolutely blown away. The first time I saw it was in the fall of 2008, it was a bootleg with custom subtitles that were mis-sync'd so I read what was going going to happen 15 seconds before I saw it. Even through that I still enjoyed the movie, but it was confusing. Thanks to the Criterion sale I finally watched the movie properly last night on BD.

This is a perfect movie, every single scene feels authentic. It takes the glamorous view of the mafia created in america and shows just how horrible of a life style it is for most. The movie is so cold and unflinching in showing not only how the mafia works, but how the mafia works the system. The kids don't have options, the elder "Don's" who survived don't live a decent life, the only people that make any money off this are so far up that they are respectable men in society.

This movie has some shots that just stick with you. Don Ciro paranoid about being killed fast walking down a hallway to deliver unappreciated money to the other retired Don's. The mad rush for drugs taking place right over a wedding procession. The kids hearing one gun shot after another knowing they are next. None of this feels corney or fake.

First time I watch it I gave the movie 8/10, it's been promoted to a perfect 10.

Re: Gomorra (Garrone, 2008) - Cannes '08 Grand Prize Winner
 

I thought it was good, but Garrone juggled too many subplots. I think this would have been a better, tighter film if one were removed. I appreciated the authenticity of the production, the casting and the locations, but I felt like it got draggy in spots. I'll admit that it's one of the most realistic views of Mafia life I've seen, but I'd be hard-pressed to consider it to be up with the best. Perhaps subsequent viewings will change my opinion, as I need to see most movies at least twice to formulate a solid opinion.

Re: Gomorra (Garrone, 2008) - Cannes '08 Grand Prize Winner
 

I felt the same about too many plot the first time (the main reason for taking off 2 points), I remember being confused over who some of the characters were and how they all fit together. On the second viewing it all works together, give it another shot.

Re: Gomorra (Garrone, 2008) - Cannes '08 Grand Prize Winner
 

I have mixed feelings about this movie. It's very well shot, has one of the most extroadinary locations I've seen in any movie, the acting is top notch and it's overall very effective. On the other hand, it's frustratingly slow. I mean slow.

Re: Gomorra (Garrone, 2008) - Cannes '08 Grand Prize Winner
 

I think the complaints about it being slow are legit for first time viewers. It's a lot to take on, for the first 30 minutes you are only getting introducted to these 5 storylines, one at a time, it's hard to connect with the characters. Second time all of these problems disappeared.

Re: Gomorra (Garrone, 2008) - Cannes '08 Grand Prize Winner
 

^
I admit that I actually stopped watching the film about 30 minutes in. It felt too slow for me, too. That said, after all the positive comments here, I'll be giving it another shot soon.

Re: Gomorra (Garrone, 2008) - Cannes '08 Grand Prize Winner
 

The movie made a lot more sense once I read the book.