#wescart

'Do you think the tyres gonna get laid?'

Some films are not meant to be taken seriously. This is one of those films.

A story about a tyre that comes to life and then embarks on a murderous rampage is never going to be anything short of ridiculous, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it cannot be entertaining along the way. 'Rubber' exists in a permanently surreal dream like state where anything can happen at any time, and often does, 'FOR NO REASON'.

The tone is set during the opening scene when police officer Chad, after knocking over several chairs with his car, steps out of the vehicle and lists a series of events from various films before proclaiming they happened for 'NO REASON'. The reality though is that every single event he mentioned happened for any number of reasons.

I think that is the point to the film though, to be utterly pointless.  To me it's a satirical look at the horror film genre and how ridiculous it can be at times, right down to the love interest female character and the seemingly compulsory shower scene. And to have a completely non threatening inanimate object such as a tyre named Robert? (who says it's called Robert anyway?...let me guess....NO REASON) as the film's villain character proves that no attempt has been made to hide from this.

Most of the dialogue in the film is quite off beat and is laced with some dry humour, nothing that I found to be laugh out load funny but some amusing moments nonetheless. The audience aspect within the film is an interesting one too with a group of people actually watching events unfold live through binoculars from a short distance away. I found myself wondering how they had came to be there and what it was that was keeping them there, day after day, starving.....and then I realised I needn't bother because oh yeah...NO REASON.

There doesn't even seem to be any point in trying to write a review other than to say 'Rubber' is completely unlike any other film I have ever seen previously....but that I actually enjoyed it.  It doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and instead serves simply as an example of how the horror genre, in fact the film industry full stop, can be quite ridiculous at time....but at least this time you don't get the feeling that your intelligence is being insulted along the way.

'A Prophet' is a film that comes with a sizeable reputation, having received much critical acclaim and having won numerous awards (including the 'Grand Prix' at Cannes, a BAFTA and a nomination for 'best foreign language film' at the Academy Awards) since it's release in 2009.

Reputations though can often count for nothing as a film that has received much acclaim can actually turn out to be rather terrible (this has happened to me just this week with 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'.....but enough about that and the three hours of my life that I will never get back). And also the reverse can be true, where a film that has been written off and universally panned can actually turn out to be hugely enjoyable.

Basically what i'm trying to say is it's best to watch something and make up your own mind about it.

Happily I found 'A Prophet' to be worthy of the hype and acclaim that surround it as what followed was a two and a half hour long French, prison drama with an interesting plot and a range of characters whose actors seemed well suited to their roles and which in turn led to some accomplished performances. Never is this more apparent than in the case of Tahar Rahim who plays the films central character 'Malik', a character who seems to be a product of his environment doing what he can to best survive against the odds.

The story begins as Malik, a 19 year old prisoner of mixed French - Arab race, is beginning to serve a six year prison sentence. This is not Malik's first spell inside a correctional facility but is his first inside an adult prison, and you can sense a level of uneasiness in him as he is aware that he is starting life in an adult prison at the bottom of the food chain with no friends or associates to side with. It is not long before he is finding this out the hard way at the hands of fellow inmates.

Pretty soon into his sentence Malik comes to the attention of the Corsican crime gang who actually run the prison and is ordered by their leader 'Cesar' to carry out the murder of another prisoner named 'Reyeb'. Despite his unwillingness Malik is made aware that his own life depends on him carrying out this act and that his own life in prison would improve should he serve 'the Corsicans'. So it is with some reluctance, but also necessity if he himself wants to survive, that Malik adds killing to his criminal CV.

This murder leads to Malik being haunted by visions of the now deceased Reyeb at various points throughout the film, and strangely considering that Malik is the person who murdered him, Reyeb always appears to him in good grace rather than the hostility you might expect. It does also mean that Malik now falls under the protection of the Corsicans, but although he enjoys some benefits he is never really accepted as part of their gang and instead serves more as a servant to them while they treat him with open hostility.

I mentioned earlier that Malik is of mixed ancestry and I feel that this is an important fact to point out because it is the racial dynamic within the prison that dictates which side you are on, in this prison's case whether you are a Corsican or a Muslim. Initially his mixed heritage plays to Malik's disadvantage as he is accepted by neither group and distrusted by both. But as the film progresses and the population within the prison begins to shift from a heavy Corsican presence to a Muslim majority due to a legal ruling Malik's dual heritage allows him to establish links with characters on both sides of the racial divide, and most importantly two characters named 'Ryad' and 'Jordi'.

With the help of Ryad and Jordi, and the fact that Malik is allowed to enter a day release programme, the group are able to set up a drup smuggling operation and despite the risks and hazards this kind of enterprise can bring over time it enhances Malik's reputation both inside and outside the prison and also his financial situation. As time progresses the bond between Malik and Ryad grows and this leads to Ryad confiding in Malik that he is at first unwell, and eventually terminally ill. Malik also becomes Godfather to Ryad's child.

Inevitably news of Malik's new dealings reaches the Corsican prison boss Cesar who is unhappy with this development and hands out physical punishment to Malik. By this point though there is the sense that Cesar's influence within the prison, and also over Malik are diminishing as time progresses and he is being left more isolated as fellow Corsicans leave the prison and Malik's dealing with the Muslim's becomes more widespread.

Malik's growing reputation and standing within the prison eventually reaches the point at which Cesar is coming to him for help with his own problems, which given his treatment of Malik up to this point would have been a decision he has not taken lightly and also reflects Cesar's growing desperation. Malik plays along with Cesar's request but following an incident in which Malik forewarned some of the Corsican crime syndicate about an imminent car crash involving deers, hence his nickname 'The Prophet', Malik is able to decide and influence a different outcome and turn the tables on Cesar completely which leaves him as exposed and vulnerable as Malik himself was on his first day inside prison, their role reversal is now complete.

The films final scene shows Malik leaving prison and being greeted by the now deceased Ryad's wife and young child, as well as a motorcade that consists of the criminal element that Malik has been able to build up through his drug running operations. How long he manages to survive to enjoy his freedom is an open question though given the circles in which he mixes.