GOMORRAH

Directed by: Matteo Garrone
Run time: 137 min

If The Godfather glorifies the mafia, this one desensitized everything you ever know about mafia from the popular culture. With no marquee name to attract teens, this film is swaying between cinema verite and documentary feature. Just like City of God, it all feels real here, especially with no fancy soundtrack. Gomorrah has five different stories but with one thing in common: these people cannot escape the influence of criminal organization run by the Camorras, in the city of Naples, Italy.

For those who seek for entertainment value, they will be disappointed since this film will show you the gloomy reality of ordinary people under the influence of mafia. There's this pre-teen who has no clue whatsoever about things around him and drown himself into the underworld, a tailor who happens to be caught between mafia wars, two youngsters who had seen too many Scarface and has an itchy fingers to pull the trigger, an aging man giving weekly payment to families of mob prisoners and a college graduate who had a high profile job of managing a toxic waste. It is a story where criminals kills each other, everyday, just for the sake of interest and business.

I think the labyrinthine structure of this film represent on how chaotic and deep the influence of mafia is it also want to drag the audience on the despair of the common people. The plot was separate and didn't intersect with each other. Somehow I feel that the cinematography of this film is top notch, with strong emphasis on simplicity and efficiency and certainly no romanticism at all. Sure no CGI robots killing each other but daily life with dull colors seen with a hand held camera can look so interesting in Gomorrah.

The absent of famous actors/actresses makes this film more believable. This is a very European film, with the absent of glorification of mafia and a bit slow pacing to test the patience of the audience. However it all pays off, you get to see something you never know it has existed for years.