The film industry today is developing so fast that sometimes films shot 8-10 years ago are no longer as exciting to watch as new films with a bunch of special effects and an excellent visual range. But there is a movie that does not age over time - these are, as a rule, solid detectives, classic melodramas, and sometimes action movies. While science fiction very quickly becomes obsolete, and the same iconic "Matrix" looks now not so impressive.
But there are pleasant exceptions. For example, the movie "The Prophet." Reviews about this movie are almost all positive, and 10 years after reaching the big screen, it also arouses interest among viewers.
"Golden man"
The idea of the project was born from the story of Philip Dick's “Golden Man”. However, the scriptwriters made significant differences. In the history of the famous science fiction, the action took place in the future, where as a result of mutations a lot of people with unusual abilities appeared. They are captured and destroyed by a special bureau. The protagonist of the story is a mutant capable of foreseeing the future, in addition, he has unusually beautiful golden skin and attractive appearance, thanks to which he seduces women.
The story of Philip Dick is completely devoted to the operation to capture this mutant, and when it is successfully completed, the agents understand that their work was meaningless. Since the main character has already managed to seduce many women and left offspring.
In the movie “The Prophet,” the action takes place at present, and the ability to foresee the future is unique. And Chris Johnson is caught only because he can help in the fight against terrorists.
The director of the movie “The Prophet” is Lee Tamahori. He is not so famous, however, in his filmography there are several notable works - the thriller “And the Spider Came” (2001), the last film by Bondnan and Pierce Brosnan “Die, but Not Now,” and the action movie “Three X2: A New Level”.
The Prophet Film: Actors and Roles
The action spins around the three main characters.
- Chris Johnson (Nicolas Cage) is the main character, able to see his own future 2 minutes ahead. He lives in Las Vegas and uses his gift to make money - shows tricks on the foresight show, plays in the casino.
- Kelly Ferris (Julianne Moore) is an FBI agent. Having accidentally learned about Chris' abilities, she decides to use his gift to prevent an impending large-scale terrorist attack, which will result in the deaths of thousands of people.
- Liz Cooper (Jessica Beale) - Chris's girlfriend, whom he begins to see long before meeting. The only foresight, which is longer than 2 minutes, is that the protagonist knows exactly what time and where he will meet the woman of his dreams, but does not know the day, so he dines every day in the same cafe.
Positive reviews of the movie "The Prophet" - including the merit of the actors. The main three heroes of the story were selected just superbly, and the actors played their characters perfectly.
Also in the tape appeared Peter Falk in the small role of Irva (Chris plays billiards with him). This is one of the last roles of the great actor, who died in 2011.
Plot
What story is told to the viewer in the movie “The Prophet”? The plot is based on the ability of the protagonist to foresee the future. Chris plays in a casino, where he is already actively checked by the security service due to frequent wins, and thanks to his gift, he prevents robbery with the killing of people.
Johnson escapes from the casino. FBI agents watch cameras, and then Kelly Ferris becomes convinced of Chris’s extraordinary ability. She decides to recruit the protagonist to search for the atomic bomb.
Chris finds out what the FBI wants from him, using the gift - in anticipation, he talks with Kelly, but in reality runs away, leaving his friend Irva to talk to agents.
The FBI begins a hunt for Johnson, the terrorists do the same. Chris finally meets the girl of her dreams - Liz, and tries to please her. She agrees to give him a ride, and along the way they call on an Indian reservation.
Chris and Liz are staying at the hotel due to the downpour. In the morning, the FBI agents intercept the girl and convince her to help in catching the main character.
FBI agents catch Johnson, and Liz Cooper is captured by terrorists. Chris is forced to watch the news in order for him to see the attack. Unexpectedly for himself, he really begins to see the explosion and Liz dying at the same time.
Chris escapes, rescues the girl and, together with the capture group, begins to pursue the terrorists. Having risen to the roof, the main character realizes that there will be an explosion now - he hugs Liz and they die.
Johnson wakes up in a hotel room and realizes that everything was only a vision. He says goodbye to the girl and leaves for agents to prevent an explosion.
Interesting Facts
- The connection of the picture with the game "Prince of Persia" (returning back in time) is traced.
- The cafe in which Chris and Liz met were used to shoot Pulp Fiction.
- The tape has a direct reference to the film A Clockwork Orange - a scene where the hero is forced to watch TV, holding his eyelids with the help of special devices.
- Also in the tape there is a scene resembling the shots of The Matrix, - Chris dodges the bullets of the terrorists.
Reviews
Almost all reviews of the movie “Prophet” are positive. The opinions of the audience range from “enthusiasm” and “smart” to “not bad” and “very worthy”. This is a dynamic fantasy action film with a good script and excellent cast. It is interesting to watch, unexpected plot twists and drags you to literally stick to the screen.
However, there are negative reviews of the movie "The Prophet." The biggest negative was caused by the open ending - in fact, the creators did not tell how the confrontation between the FBI and the terrorists would end. There were also questions about staging fights and budget allocation: when the film cost $ 70 million, they used scenery from other projects and inexpensive special effects when shooting. Apparently, a large share of the money was used for the fees of star actors, while everything else had to be saved.
Who to watch
The film "The Prophet" (2007) can be recommended for viewing to everyone who loves good quality action movies. And this is an action movie with unexpected plot twists, dynamic and original. Lovers of mysticism and science fiction, in turn, may be disappointed: in the picture, the ability to see the future is presented as a useful tool, and this ability is shown in about the same way as in the series “The Mentalist” or “Fool Me”, where the main characters could read people's emotions .
In addition, this is one of the last successful films by Nicolas Cage. In the same 2007, the actor starred in a good "Ghost Rider" and the second part of "Treasure of the Nation." And then the tapes became worse and worse: “The Sign” (2009) and “Sorcerer's Apprentice” with a rating slightly higher than average and worthy thrillers “What Hides the Lies” (2011) and “Frozen Earth” (2013) have become the most visible tapes featuring Cage in the last 8 years. And although the Academy-wide actor starred in several projects every year, the audience does not show much interest in them. Let's hope this situation changes.
In the meantime, you can recall how good Nicholas Cage was ten years ago, and review (or watch) the movie "The Prophet" (2007).