43) Gomorrah (2008)
An inside look at Italy’s modern crime families.
7/10 – “The Greatest Mafia Movie Ever Made” is a bit of a bold statement. I enjoyed this, but not as much as I thought I would. It’s arty, gritty and realistic, but something felt a bit off about it. The film shows 5 separate story arcs, but rather than linking them together like Crash or Amores Perros in an obvious way, it chooses to have the story arcs exist parallel with each other but never actually visibly connect. Because of this it just feels disjointed, and whenever it gathers momentum it stops and cuts to the next story. I’m not asking to be spoonfed, and I can appreciate a slow film, but Gomorrah felt like it needed something more.
I’ve read elsewhere that this was done on purpose. It was intentional to not give any character any real development, or an equal share of screen time, or any background to it all – as it demonstrates the bleak, short nature of their existence. Maybe so, but I think that’s finding meaning where there is no meaning.
Otherwise it is a good piece of film, it feels raw, unforgiving and brutal, but certainly not deserving of “the best” of any genre.
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