[psycho d]

Gomorrah (2008). This loosely stitched canvas of intertwining victims of post-Roman misery is cinema verite at its finest. The initial confusion as to the plot and other elements of story-telling requires a heavy element of patience, but patience here is rewarded with a rich cinematic experience. In essence, this film revolves around the decay of an empire built upon corruption, an inescapable reality which precludes virtue in one's efforts to get ahead. This is a world where vocational morality will lead to a dead end job in a pizza palace, and even then the boss man will likely be tainted with the filth of corruption. The film is shot with a drab essence that hints of a culture bled dry, and we get to experience this snapshot of the inevitable exsanguination and decay of Italy. The documentary feel of Gommorah only adds to this dismal reality, with the camera work leading the way in a flick whose intention is not so much to entertain as it is to move. The end is epic in its denial to allot for an authentic denouement, a bravado that will leave the viewer with an empty sense of have been cheated, a feeling no doubt frequently felt by those that its characters depict. Merci beaucoup.
Genruk