Gomorrah

Gomorrah [2008]
Based upon five stories from the bestselling book by journalist Roberto Saviano, which exposes the true life happenings of the Neapolitan crime organisation, the Comorra, similar to the Mafia. After the release of his book, attempts were made by the Comorra to eliminate him (yeah, whack him). Saviano was given a permanent police escort to protect him and has since left Italy to escape from living in hiding.

This should give you some kind of idea as to the kind of people the film is dealing with here. Not the glamourized hoods ala The Godfather; there is no such romanticism here. The film portrays all the gang members with gritty and brutal realism, and doesn't stylise anything. This isn't a stereotypical Hollywood tale of likeable gangsters, so those expecting such a thing should best stay away.

As regards to the film itself, it's better if you are a bit clued up as to what is going on with these people, as the movie offers no such explanation and simply dumps you in the middle of it all, often wondering just what the fuck is going on at times. It's easy to get a little lost at first, but you soon find your footing, becoming enthralled by the happenings on the screen. Young kids wearing bullet proof vests and being intentionally shot at close range to prove that they are "men." Two young careless guys getting themselves into deep shit by stealing bosses' guns and shooting them off across lakes in their underwear, pretending to be Tony Montana. The film is a sea of criminality where you are left to figure it all out yourself and watch as it comes to a bloody, violent end.

Like I said before, this isn't for you if you are after more Godfather, Donnie Brasco, etc, unless you have an open mind and have a genuine interest in this kind of thing. It's not the best movie in the world, but it's worth giving a chance.
(4 out of 5)