A mob film that's as far from the genre's standard operating procedure as could be imagined
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01/13/09
Gomorrah (2009)
91
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:118
Fresh:107
Rotten:11
Average Rating:7.6/10
Consensus: Portraying organised crime with an unflinching realism, this gritty and searing Italian crime masterpiece pulls no punches.
Theatrical Release:10-10-2008
Synopsis: Matteo Garrone's Gomorrah is a dense, sprawling exposé of the corruption plaguing the communities of Naples and Caserta in modern-day Italy. The all-powerful Camorra syndicate influences the lives... [More]
Starring: Salvatore Abruzzese, Gianfelice Imparato, Maria Nazionale, Toni Servillo
Director: Matteo Garrone
Reviews for Gomorrah
...while [the] experience may often seem like viewing a crowd from a moving merry-go-round, one cannot help but be left with a sense of overwhelming hopelessness.
01/06/09
The biblical Gomorrah was a stinkhole of depravity and corruption. Well, god took care of that one. No one earthbound seems able to obliterate this one.
01/03/09
Avoiding the conventions of gangster movies, it presents a slice of the ghastly reality of life in the crime-infested areas of Naples that has remarkably authenticity and immediacy.
12/31/08
An unusually thought-provoking, annoying, difficult and ultimately unique work that might not be one of the year's best, but is surely among its most interesting.
12/21/08
[T]here's nothing here to draw us in -- nothing particularly interesting or engaging about the stories or the characters.
12/19/08
Gomorrah brings subtle artistry and character insight to the observational, plot-drive-phobic school of filmmaking that's so popular among serious auteurs at the moment.
12/19/08
The fingerprints of the Camorra are everywhere, this film wants us to know, and its grip is lethal.
12/19/08
Top CriticTinsel Town can indeed be blamed for making such 'made' man movies compelling. Director Matteo Garrone shows us how truly disturbing and unrelenting such a story can be.
12/19/08
Impactante justamente por evitar se concentrar nos poderosos que se encontram no topo da hierarquia da camorra.
12/18/08
The action and bloodshed are amped up in the final half hour, but it's still not enough to land the clearly intended knockout punch.
12/18/08
Visceral but disciplined and beautifully acted.
12/18/08
An ambitious, sprawling picture about the epic swirl of Italy's criminal underbelly.
11/26/08
The familiarity of most of the plot lines could limit its popularity.
11/21/08
A look at the sprawling and incredibly powerful Camorra crime family in Italy shows mostly the lurid details of conventional crime. The value of the film lies in exposing crime that is not business as usual.
11/17/08
Deservedly winning a major award at Cannes Fest, Garrone's multi-layered chronicle of crime as big business and way of life is a bleak, gripping, powerful and realistic saga that goes beyond American and Brazilian films like The Godfather or City of God.
09/29/08
The frightening people and the story they enact are defined by a camera technique which makes them flesh-and-blood, not larger-than-life spectacle.
09/26/08
A gritty drama based on a bestselling Italian novel about organized crime that focuses on the lives of five different players in the System.
09/22/08
Sidesteps grandiose gestures and statements in favor of a grimly matter-of-fact chronicle of how pervasive the Mafia influence has become.
09/20/08
Latest News for Gomorrah
May 24, 2009:
Cannes 2009: The Tomato Report - Critics Pick Their Awards Favourites
With the Cannes Film Festival winding down this weekend, talk is now turning to who will win the Palme d'Or this evening. We tracked down several journalists covering the fest... More...
February 12, 2009:
Critics Consensus: Friday the 13th Feels Too Familiar
This week at the movies, we've got creepy campers (Friday the 13th, starring Jared Padalecki and Danielle Panabaker), conspicuous consumption (Confessions of a Shopaholic,... More...
January 26, 2009:
Exclusive: Gomorrah red-band clip and poster!
The Mafia stages a routine presence in cinema, but few of their movies are drawing the strong praise like Matteo Garrone's Gomorrah is. Italy's official entry for the 2008... More...
January 08, 2009:
Broadcast Film Critics Name Critics' Choice Winners
The 14th Annual Critics' Choice Awards were given on January 8, 2009, to honor the finest achievements in 2008 filmmaking. A list of nominees follows below, with winners in bold: More...
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