Gritty, gripping realism in a multi-faceted contemporary crime docudrama set in Naples. There's much to digest, what with five individual stories transpiring simultaneously. A bit chaotic, but I got in the groove eventually. Very well done. And very grim. (And evidently not for everybody. Worked for me.)

Just because it's a foreign movie doesn't mean it's any good.

Am I the only one who had this problem: Even though I clicked on the "English" version - as the choice given to start the movie... I got no "English-anything"! Only Italian or French was heard on this film. Even after this happened, I went back to the start of the movie and under "Set-up" clicked on "English" again for subtitles allowed... Still no "English". I tried variations of this - always with no success! So what a drag... OPL should look into this problem and get the distributor of the film to make good on a DVD that allows a patron to either hear or see English - otherwise - what's the point of renting this movie, if you cannot speak Italian or French?

Tightly wound mafia tale. Extremely genuine foreign film. Moves at a slow, but even, pace with some scenes of brutal, realistic violence. Follows several connected story arcs, that all come to interesting conclusions. Well acted with a feel of complete immersion into the setting. A must see for fans of gangster movies.

When a feature film feels like a documentary it is a testimony for the quality of the screenplay, the skill of direction and acting. Such is the case with "Gomorrah". It would be a slight benefit to read the book first, in order to fully understand the ebb and flow of the characters in the movie.

Excellent film, it really sheds light on the squalid inner workings of organized crime in Naples without any undue romanticization. Hard hitting, if perhaps difficult to follow unless you're paying close attention.

Fair - Gomorrah (2008) 137 min. Foreign Language (Italian). Nominated for a Best Foreign Picture at the 2009 Oscars was a complete let down. Critics love this mob film. Probably because it's portrayed more like a documentary with real life situations as opposed to the Hollywood romanticism applied to such gangster films. This one plays out more like a documentary as opposed to a prose narrative. At best, I found it only as o.k. and that's because I like the romanticism of mob films; I'd like to know who the bad guys and good guys are; which is the point of the film - anyone associated with gang violence and extortion is probably on the side of evil and therefore, why romanticize the notion. Also, another problem wiht this film was that it didn’t focus on the main characters for too long. Instead, the story took us to other gangsters and other stories that didn’t really relate to the young men trying to leave their mark. I didn’t find myself engaged except when the young men were featured - too bad. Maybe the film’s genius is so hidden that a second viewing is needed – I couldn’t make out the greatness of this film the first time around. On a positive note, it does portray gangsterism in southern Italy probably better than most films especially with the concept that for most of the time, you don't know who's gunning for you as was the case for all victims in the film.