day5_p64_rev_Gomorra_b 5/17/08 7:56 PM Page 64reviewsSunday,THR.com/cannesMay 18, 2008 | day 5WALKING SHOTGUN:<strong>The</strong> young criminalsof Garrone’s title arenot exactly role models.‘Gomorra’By Natasha SenjanovicROME — Powerful, strippedto its very essence and featuringa spectacular cast (of mostlynon-professionals), MatteoGarrone’s sixth feature film,“Gomorra,” goes beyond Tarrantino’sgratuitous violenceand even Scorsese’s <strong>Hollywood</strong>sensibility in depicting theeveryday reality of organizedcrime’s foot soldiers.<strong>The</strong> characters of the film’sfive stories all work for theCamorra — the Neapolitan“mafia” behind more than 4,000murders in 30 years in Italy, andcountless illegal activities —andbesides being extremely dangerousare relentless, petty andanything but wise.Success at home is virtuallyguaranteed for “Gomorra” as> IN COMPETITIONBOTTOM LINE POne of the most realistic films onorganized crime to hit the big screen.CAST: Toni Servillo, Gianfelice Imparato,Maria Nazionale, Salvatore Cantalupo,Gigio Morra, Salvatore Abruzzese, MarcoMacor, Ciro Petrone, Carmine Paternoster.DIRECTOR: Matteo Garrone.SCREENWRITERS: Maurizio Braucci,Ugo Chiti, Garrone, Massimo Gaudioso,Roberto Saviano. PRODUCER: DomenicoProcacci. No rating, 135 minutes.it’s based on Roberto Saviano’seponymous 2006 bestseller (1.2million copies sold, translatedinto 33 languages) and thebuild-up to its release, alongwith selection In Competitionat <strong>Cannes</strong>, have created a hugebuzz in Italy. Internationally,the film has sold to a handful ofEuropean territories so far, aswell as Canada, though buyersare expected to grow significantlyafter <strong>Cannes</strong>.“Gomorra” is one of the raredramatic films to come out ofItaly in recent years that has theappeal to play well theatrically,at least in Europe, and in festivalsworldwide. In the U.S., itshould play to the widest possiblerange of art-house audienceslooking for a thinkingperson’s mafia movie.At times slow and documentary-like,“Gomorra” is tension-filledand highly realistic.(Author and co-screenwriterSaviano, 29, has been underpolice escort even since thebook was published.) Shot predominantlyin Naples’ Scampianeighborhood — an architecturalnightmare of enormousrundown apartment blocks -the film never caters to thoselooking for the kind of adrenalineor over-the-top humor orglamor that’s come to be associatedwith the genre.Garrone neither judges noridolizes in his sober approach,and restrains <strong>from</strong> too manyother indulgences, artistic orformulaic, beyond handheldcamera work and numerousclose-ups. And the faces hechooses, predominantlypeople plucked <strong>from</strong> the streetson which he films, make mostmovie mafiosos look likemodels.Even the film’s soundtrack(Neapolitan pop music, sparinglyused) adds to the overallfeel of background rather thanimposing a mood. Garrone alsomakes use of total silence and,rather than coming across as amanipulative film-school trick,it only enhances particularlyemotional scenes.Apart <strong>from</strong> the film’s mostnotable star, Toni Servillo, otherstandout performances come<strong>from</strong> Gianfelice Imparatore,Salvatore Cantalupo, Carminepaternoster and 13-year-oldSalvatore Abruzzese. ∂THR.com | los angeles 323.525.2000 | new york 646.654.5000 | london +44.207.420.6139 | beijing +86.10.6512.5511 (ext. 121)64
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