A Prophet was a nominee for this year’s Best Foreign Language Film Oscar (it eventually lost to another film on this semester’s programme, The Secret in Their Eyes). It is the story of Malik, a young Arab prisoner who is forced into extreme actions to survive in a tough French jail, particularly as he is targeted and taken under the wing of Corsican gang leader César.

This film received many rave reviews over the past twelve months, as well as major recognition at the BAFTA awards, Cannes, the European Film Awards, the Golden Globes, the Independent Spirit Awards and the National Board of Review, on top of its Oscar nod. It’s a gripping tale of moral compromise and redemption, and it introduces us to Tahar Rahim, a young actor to watch for in the future. The violence in an early scene is extreme, but it is the worst in the whole film, so don’t be put off by it. Director Jacques Audiard made another film a few years ago, Read My Lips, and that was a good indication of what we also have here – an edge-of-your seat thriller with good performances. Apart from a mid-section pacing lag, this is a very engaging movie and well worth seeing at Coombs.