Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

Good start, but then it gets ruined

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The actors did a great job with their characters, and rightly so as most are locals of the area. The usage of non-professional actors/ local talent really helped in capturing the authenticity of the story. Also, the location-shooting did a great job in capturing the core of the Mafia, while also establishing its widespread influences. The spaces we see are limited, but many. What I mean by this is that because of the different story-lines, we see many different spaces, but what we see of these spaces is limited. They do not travel much in their own settings (except for Franco and Roberto who travel across the country).The first scene of the film establishes the violence of the subject and the aggressiveness of the Mafia. The film does show quite a bit of explicit content. This helps to deny the glorification that being part of the Mafia is usually depicted as bringing. Unlike how conspicuous consumption and success is shown in Scarface (which is also referenced in this movie), Matteo Garrone makes an effort not to show that side of glorification. The Mafia members here are ruthless, violent and seemingly do not have morals. It takes little to agitate them and loyalty plays a big part in maintaining one's safety. This again shows the reality of the film and the lives of the people in Naples.The endings of the different story-lines complement each other in sending the message that you are either with or against the Camorra. Although in the case of Roberto, his future is left ambiguous which is a little confusing.Overall a great portrayal of the Camorra system in Naples, with well established story-lines and great acting. What makes this film terrifying is the fact that this is based from reality and that the people living there have no choice but to go along or face the consequences (usually death).Read more movie reviews at: championangels.wordpress.com

This Italian film was one of the newest entries in a version of the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, which changes at least ten or so of its titles every year, so I was looking forward to finding out whether to was a good film to replace another, and it was rated well by critics. Basically the film consists of five interconnected stories about characters associated with or part of the crime syndicate the Casalesi clan who are based within the Camorra (presumably the title is a deliberate or stylised misspelling of this name), and how the wrongdoings affect themselves and others around them. These include timid middleman Don Ciro (Gianfelice Imparato) who to the families of imprisoned clan members gives them money to support them, thirteen year old grocery delivery boy Totò (Salvatore Abruzzese) who watches bags of drugs distributed between dealers and them running from the police, graduate Roberto (Carmine Paternoster) who is unaware while working in waste management that his boss Franco (Golden Globe (Italy) winner Toni Servillo) is illegally dumping toxic waste like chromium and asbestos in abandoned places, haute couture tailor Pasquale (Salvatore Cantalupo) who works for garment factory owner Iavarone (Gigio Morra) who has gangster connections and ties, and two cocky out of control teenage gangster wannabes Marco (Marco Macor) and Ciro (Ciro Petrone) who independently run their own small local racket for distributing stuff. Obviously we see each of them getting involved in the drug dealing trade in some form or another, making money from selling and doing the dirty work to sort any problems, and many other activities, but of course all come to abrupt and consequential conclusions as crime does not pay and their decisions ultimately cause the slow destruction of their personal lives. Also starring Maria Nazionale as Maria, Giovanni Venosa as Giovanni, Vittorio Russo as Vittorio and Bernardino Terracciano as Bernardino. The cast is all good and the direction is well paced, I would not be able to detail specific moments that stood out, only that I know it had a lot of drugs, guns and some small police and criminal chases, obviously the main point of the film was to see the characters not realise their actions would not amount to anything, so it was interesting crime drama. It was nominated the BAFTA for Best Film Not in the English Language, it won the Golden Globes (Italy) for Best Cinematography and Best Film, and it was nominated for Best Director for Matteo Garrone and Best Screenplay, and it was nominated the Golden Globe (USA) for Best Foreign Language Film. Very good!

In Neapolitan Camorra, the semi-fictional events of Matteo Garrone on location around Naples with incredible precision dressed in frightening images. And the film has become the uncompromising declaration of war against the Camorra, the international drug trade, toxic waste, sweatshop the production of designer fashion and monopoly on the cement trade has. On five separate fates GOMORRHA describes the suggestive power of the Camorra, the operations by which the clans claiming their power and the manipulation that they keep their dirty business in motion a cruel world that is nevertheless deeply rooted in reality. Why GOMORRHA big Mafia films like "Scarface" (Brian DE Palma), "Hands Over the City" (Francesco Rosi) or "The Godfather" (Francis Ford Coppola) perpetuates - and frighteningly current. In Italy, GOMORRHA immediately put to the top of the box office and drew within the first two weeks of spectacular 1.5 million visitors in the movie theaters. That's what I read on the back of the DVD.GOMORRHA won the ARRI Zeiss Award at the Munich Film Festival and received at the Cannes Film Festival Grand Jury Prize. No surprise there... it deserved it.The film is not "the godfather", not about the heads of the Mafia, but the everyday life on the street below. Sometimes one feels like being in the slums where Mafia really makes their businesses. You look to have what the normality of violence surrounding the Mafia seems. The killer does not come with a pinstripe suit, sunglasses and a violin case, therefore, but in flip flops and shorts, the killings are far from action movies and theatricality. According guy has the Camorra in Europe more people on his conscience than any other criminal or terrorist organization in the last thirty years - a dead man every 3 days. The Comprehensible that the Camorra, the book and the movie have been made.The press release for the film reads more about the Mafia, but it is not your old mafia, but the new. And the comparison fits, Gomorrah can be described as "educational film about the NEW Mafia". Good film!

An inside look at slices of life you would other wise never know existed.This film details various activities of the mob in Naples. A lot of it is shot around a modern housing complex which has turned into a slum--the buildings are extremely modern and quite interesting looking but are run down low income housing.There are several subplots one concerns the mob disposing of toxic waste (a horrible idea forms in your mind of how much of this actually takes place).Another subplot--the best one--(I agree with other reviewers) is the tailor of a high line garment maker.This film jumps from subplot to subplot. In a couple of them towards the end I was lost and didn't know which subplot the scene belonged to.This film just introduces what the mob in Naples is like and as such should be viewed mostly as a documentary rather than a neatly structured story--even though it is apparently based on a novel.It was interesting ... 5 stars...