GOMORRAH at the Little

There are movies that are certainly difficult to describe in a word or two. GOMORRAH (with an "H" as it is internationally known) is that kind of movie. While you want to enthusiastically recommend it to friends, you cannot simply say "I liked that movie a lot" or "I enjoyed that movie." And even if you do, you can't just leave it at that or you'll have some very upset friends who might just decide to stop talking to you after seeing it. An older couple walked out of my screening not even five minutes into the film. Did they wander into the wrong theater? I don't know. Went out to buy the Little's famous popcorn? Probably not.

GOMORRAH follows five story lines of everyday people whose lives are entangled in the mafia dealings of the Comorra family in the Italian countryside. It's almost like CRASH (yes, that movie that stole the Oscar from BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN) for organized crime. With its matter-of-fact violence and grainy cinematography, filmmaker Matteo Garrone seems to be serving up an in-your-face documentary rather than a mob drama. This is not the glamourized version of thug life typical of Hollywood mob fares. It is both difficult and challenging to watch. It will resonate with you days after leaving the theater. For that, I would recommend for friends to partake in the experience.

I was personally very excited to see this film as Garrone holds a special spot in my ImageOut life. I started volunteering for ImageOut in 2003 and Garrone's film THE EMBALMER is the first one I ever wrote a program description for -- about an aging creepy vertically-challenged taxidermist who becomes terribly obsessed with an 18-year old hunk (in fairness, I might be too if I bumped into that god of beauty). And I was not disappointed as GOMORRAH, the 2008 Cannes Grand Prix winner, has that same dark edge to it.

~MG

GOMORRAH continues to play at the Little Theatre on East Avenue.