Mini-Review: Gomorra

Gomorra
Directed by Matteo Garrone
Released May 16, 2008 (Italy) / February 13, 2009 (USA)

I missed the theatrical release of this highly acclaimed foreign film which was controversially snubbed from this past year's Best Foreign Film Oscar lineup. I did get the chance to see it on DVD when it was screened in my Italian Cinema course in Florence. The opening scene of the film is certainly visceral and visually impressive. The cinematography in the film is incredible, and the excessive amount of graphic violence makes the film a powerful and heart-wrenching film. Putting that aside, the film's pace and many plot threads and characters is extremely confusing. The story and each of the newly introduced characters are very hard to follow. The Sicilian dialect even requires subtitles for native Italians, and I think this is one case where the foreign nature of the film probably contributed to all the positive buzz. While I do acknowledge the impressive aspects of the film, I am convinced that the tendency of critics and reviewers to put successful foreign films up on a pedestal certainly came into play here. It's still worth checking out, but make sure you're ready to follow closely along.

B