Playlist: A Prophet

This French crime drama was the front-runner for Best Foreign Film Oscar last year, but ended up losing to another crime movie, Argentina's The Secret in Their Eyes. Not that its shelves are empty: it cleaned up in Europe, including winning the Grand Prix at Cannes, which from what I hear ain't too shabby. Also, do films have shelves?

Tahar Rahim plays Malik, a young Arab sentenced to six years in prison for beating up some cops. French cops, but it is France, so it's all relative (and get this: French prisoners get full baguettes. I know, right? I bet their prison rape is even romantic.) Anyway, Malik's young and weak and gets dragged deep into the crime world by the Corsican mafia boss inside. Two things: one, the Corsican mafia is like the real Mafia of France, and two, there is no such thing as the Mafia.

To me, it felt a little like Goodfellas in a French prison. The young ethnic outsider gets caught up with Le Famille and slowly makes his way up the ranks. The endings differ and I won't say any more because this should definitely be seen. It's long--155 min--but plot-driven so it moves fast. Director Jacques Audiard is now on the Watch List.

Bonus: a very cool cover of "Mack the Knife" at the end.