What MovieMonkeys Thought:

A Prophet has been hyped to death since bagging the coveted Palme D'Or at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. Yet for once the hype falls short of reality, as there really is no way to do justice to such a momentous film in a few words. A Prophet works on just about every level. The top-notch performances serve a first-class script, with guts. The direction is clever enough to let the on-screen talent carry the story, infusing pace and purpose without interfering with the delivery. Director Jacques Audiard expertly uses the prison setting as backdrop to Malik's coming of age. As he progresses through the ranks of the Corsican gang the prison environment helps shape him up. He's a survivor with a conscience, but a survivor first and foremost, who quickly realises that he has been given a golden opportunity to learn on the job as a career criminal. Tahar Rahim turns a stellar performance portraying's Malik's inner struggle, sheer intelligence and absolute determination - as the student realises his potential. If his first lead role in A Prophet is anything to go by, we can't wait to see what else he can do. One can only hope that Hollywood won't attempt to remake this into a cliché-ridden piece of dribble, but the temptation of such a great story may be too much to resist. A Prophet effortlessly claims its place amongst the greatest gangster films of all time. Tahar Rahim manages a career-defining performance in what is essentially his first feature lead role.