London crowns ‘A Prophet’
Jacques Audiard’s Palme d’Or runner-up A Prophet took the inaugural Star of London award at the just concluded BFI London Film Festival. John Hillcoat’s The Road received a special mention.
France’s official selection for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, A Prophet is set for a US release on February 26, 2010.
Audiard’s fifth feature in a filmography that includes Read My Lips and The Beat My Heart Skipped, A Prophet (Un Prophete) tells the story of a young French-Arab who rises through the criminal ranks while on a 6-year stint in prison. Check out a few Cannes reviews we compiled here.
Is it just me or has The Road’s reputation been restored at Toronto and London after a somewhat frosty reception at Venice? Or maybe I’m overstating the Venice reaction based on one bad review from out-of-touch Todd McCarthy.
Source: ScreenDaily
Filed under: Awards, Film Festivals
Tags: A Prophet, BFI London Film Festival, Jacques Audiard, John Hillcoat, London Film Festival, The Road, Un Prophete
A PROPHET is an interesting film. Parts of it are very effective, others don’t seem to fit as well. It packs a punch though.
I loved A Prophet. Audiard is possibly my favorite director right now. At least until the next Malick or P.T. Anderson masterpiece.
It was supposed to play AFI, but Sony Pictures Classics switched it out for White Ribbon for some reason….I think it had to do with a change in release date or something since Prophet isn’t coming until February and Ribbon is December.
Too bad. My interest in the Haneke film is not very high.
Good choice, WHITE RIBBON is better than A PROPHET.
I hope you’re right, but based on my feelings for both directors, I’m putting my money on Prophet.
WHITE RIBBON is a bit of a departure for Haneke. Still dark and unnerving (and open ended), but it also doesn’t toy with the audience the way his last few have. I think it’s one of the finest of the year.
I liked and appreciated A PROPHET, and parts of it are quite powerful, but the actual “prophet” angle is a bit weak and unnecessary to the story as a whole.