Thursday, February 19, 2009

Movie Review - Gomorra

Gomorra is an Italian ensemble crime film, much like Traffic was an American ensemble drug film. But it seems unfair to compare Gomorra to Traffic.

Gomorra is based on a book by Roberto Saviano, whose life was threatened after his book was published and now has a permanent police escort. Gomorra is a look at the Camorra crime syndicate in Naples, Italy.

There were several stories interwoven throughout the film, and of the five main threads I enjoyed watching the tailor's narrative the most. In some ways he seemed the least involved in crime, only wanting to continue his legacy of haute couture.

The other most notable story was of two stupid teenagers who steal weapons from a gang. Man, those guys were great for comic relief.

Possible the most shocking story covered dumping toxic chemicals in Naples. The end credits mention that higher rates of cancer are associated with living near the illegal dumping sites.

Like most ensemble films, I found the different narratives difficult to follow, and I always wanted to see what was going to happen with the tailor's story next (Yes, he does do something stupid).

I enjoyed the film, as it's well shot and the stories were interesting. But it's not something I think I'll watch again.

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