The concept of paying one’s dues to earn respect plays prominently in the two gritty, yet wildly divergent independent films, “A Prophet” and “The Runaways.”
Though the main characters in both movies find themselves in new situations in which they must rise above the rank and file, their similarities end there. Available for viewing only at AMC’s Elmwood Palace, both endeavors take familiar scenarios and imbue them with a newfound style, achieving varying success.
The 2009 winner of the top prize at the Cannes film festival and Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Film, “A Prophet” chronicles the sentence of recent Franco-Arab inmate, Malik El Djebena (Tahar Rahim), as he begins his six-year stint at Brecourt prison. Though he attempts to get through his sentence without incident, he becomes the pawn of Cesar Luciani (Niels Arestrup), head of the Corsican mafia within the prison. El Djebena lacks the trust and respect from both the Corsicans and the Arabs within the prison, but is safe because the protection of Luciani. Luciani trains El Djebena to run his operations both in and out of prison, and eventually gains a foothold for himself.
Director Jacques Audiard has a keen eye for authenticity and does not glamorize the hostile world El Djebena must navigate. Though comparable in scope and theme to the gangster films of Scorcese and Coppola, “A Prophet” has its own contemporary and relevant vision of modern day criminality in France. One’s identity, if not necessarily predetermined, through a combination of opportunity and hard work can translate into a relevant public contributor.
Veteran music video director Floria Sigismondi is the ideal candidate to tell the story of the first all-girl hard rock band to attain success in “The Runaways.” Following the eponymous band from their rise to fall during 1975-77, the story focuses primarily on singer Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning) and lead guitarist Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart).
The film has a grungy verisimilitude that completely evokes the mid-late 1970’s. The music, fashion and set are perfect, heightened by stunning cinematography.
Unfortunately, the film never truly delves into the personal lives enough to take the film out of the traditional biopic mold. The viewer understands the difficulty it takes for the band to get the recognition they deserve, but without the seemingly fascinating pathos needed. The performances are all solid, and the true standout is the always-fascinating character actor Michael Shannon (“Revolutionary Road,” “Bug”) as the band’s manager, Kim Fowley, who fully understands the band’s potential and exploits them to the fullest.
In all cultures, in order to transition from childhood to adulthood, trials are in place for one to earn the respect of the community. Both El Djebena and The Runaways faced the adversity of breaking through society’s preconceived notions of their positions. In “A Prophet” and “The Runaways,” cultural value is received by the protagonists, but with dissimilar filmic accomplishment.
“A Prophet” : A
“The Runaways” : B-
Ari Silber is a Loyola MBA student. Before graduate school, he worked for nine years in the Los Angeles film industry, focusing on marketing, publicity and distribution. He can be reached at [email protected]
