'Gomorrah' review

Gangster living isn't what it's cracked up to be

By Geoff Berkshire

Posted December 18, 2008

Metromix

Five intersecting stories make up this fact-based portrait of the wide-ranging Camorra crime syndicate based in present day Naples, Italy, whose annual profits are estimated over $233 billion. From young upstarts to veteran power players, nearly everyone involved is seduced by opportunity yet always in danger of losing their lives.

The buzz: Based on a highly acclaimed epic of contemporary Italian literature, “Gomorrah” has proven quite successful in its home country. The film has been chosen to represent Italy in the Academy Awards’ foreign film competition, won the second place Grand Jury Award at this year’s Cannes film festival and has already been nominated for a Golden Globe for best foreign language film.

The verdict: Considering the gangster genre’s persistent appeal it might seem like this well-researched and studiously mounted project could have serious crossover appeal, despite the challenges foreign language films face in America. But a significant interest in the specific subject matter is required to even consider watching “Gomorrah.” There’s minimal narrative and even less drama in the crisscrossing tales, a disappointment for a film otherwise rich in evocative detail. One storyline focused on a pair of dumb but ambitious low level thugs is so trite that its arc is obvious before it even begins. The action and bloodshed are amped up in the final half hour, but it’s still not enough to land the clearly intended knockout punch.

Did you know? In one of the most sobering details listed before the film’s end credits, it’s revealed that Camorra money has been invested in the reconstruction project for the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers.