American Gangster Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES PLOT SUMMARY
Following the death of his employer and mentor, Bumpy Johnson, Frank Lucas establishes himself as the number one importer of heroin in the Harlem district of Manhattan. He does so by buying heroin directly from the source in South East Asia and he comes up with a unique way of importing the drugs into the United States. As a result, his product is superior to what is currently available on the street and his prices are lower. His alliance with the New York Mafia ensures his position. It is also the story of a dedicated and honest policeman, Richie Roberts, who heads up a joint narcotics task force with the Federal government. Based on a true story.
| Denzel Washington | Frank Lucas |
| Russell Crowe | Det. Richie Roberts |
| Chiwetel Ejiofor | Huey Lucas |
| Josh Brolin | Detective Trupo |
| Lymari Nadal | Eva |
| Ted Levine | Det. Lou Toback |
| Roger Guenveur Smith | Nate |
| John Hawkes | Det. Freddie Spearman |
| RZA | Moses Jones |
| Yul Vazquez | Alphonse Abruzzo |
| Malcolm Goodwin | Jimmy Zee |
| Ruby Dee | Mama Lucas |
| Ruben Santiago-Hudson | Doc |
| Carla Gugino | Laurie Roberts |
| Skyler Fortgang | Michael Roberts |
| Ridley Scott |
8.00 out of 10 (81432 votes)
Visitor Reviews
This film leaves an impact
posted on 26 Aug 2009American Gangster was an interesting film which was never boring even though it was nearly three hours long. THe performances were pretty good as were the surprise acts of violence. I wouldn't consider it a great film, but it is definitely worth seeing if you want to see how drug empires are built.It is the 1970s, and detective Richie Roberts (Crowe) believes that there is a new Kingpin in town dealing heroin. The new Kingpin is Frank Lucas (Washington), and he has built an empire through payoffs and crooked deals. He quickly moves up in the ranks to become one of the most powerful American crime lords which rivals that of the mafia.Roberts, and outcast cop in his own precinct because of his complete honesty and belief in the judicial system, works painstakingly to bring the empire of Frank Lucas down. In his efforts he has to deal with plenty of corruption. One man in particular gives him the biggest trouble, and that would be detective Trupo (Brolin in a fine performance) who makes it as difficult for Roberts as he can.So here we have a battle of wills, and though Roberts and Lucas don't meet until near the end of the movie, each still remains an integral part of the plot. You can't really understand the movie unless you are able to see both men for who they are. It makes the ending even more powerful.Ridley Scott, as usual, shows that he can still direct. The pacing was fantastic and not once did I think the movie dragged. The only small plot that I had a problem with was Richie and his wife's custody battle over their son. It just didn't seem to fit into this movie for some reason, but the rest of the movie is fantastic. I wouldn't say it was the greatest performance for Crowe or Washington, but what they brought to the table was well above average. I highly recommend this movie because it went into details about how corruption can destroy true justice if given the chance. It gives us a side of life that isn't so pleasant and throws it in our faces. A very good movie.
half-baked mob saga
posted on 26 Aug 2009'American Gangster' has in place all the ingredients for being one of these big and successful American sagas that Hollywood knows to do too well. The film is built around the true story of an interesting character - Frank Lucas, one of the first Afro-American mob heads, a self made gangster but also a businessman and a man of family, it enjoys the presence on screen two leading actors of Oscar fame, it is directed by a well known name, and even screen time exceeds the two and a half hours, which became kind of normal for the big American films recently.And yet, Ridley Scott's film fails, and the failure is to be found in the two many inconsistencies in building his characters, and in the lack of success of making the story in the film both successful and true to reality. Denzel Washington's interior light and dignity plays an ambiguous role here, we know and like him too much from other scene appearances to really get shocked of his Frank Lucas's evilness, he is more convincing when shown taking his mom to church, or building a business plan or even turning down his accomplices, than when killing a man for to impose his power in a scene which seems out of the character's space. Russell Crowe as detective Richie Roberts is on the contrary more convincing when dealing with his personal troubles, and less when trying to be the on corruptible character who nails Lucas. A typical case of two excellent actors that do a good job but do not raise to the levels of excellency we expect from them.While the parallel lives of the two characters advance on parallel tracks, the tension is built towards the final confrontation that is meant to be the climax of the movie. We are filled in with too many standard and expected stuff from other more minor movies - for example the juxtaposition of the failed family and parental life of the 'good' detective vs. the devoted family life of the gangster. If this is meant to be kind of a social comment - the good guy is paying with his personal life the price of being right, while the bad guy is the one apparently realized, well, this sounds kind of trivial and moralistic. It is only the usage of the TV sequences that puts the story in the perspective of the 60s and 70s and the ravaging effects of the drugs trade on the American society. Nothing new or unexpected here however.'American Gangster' could have been one of these big American sagas. Or maybe not, maybe we had too many of these on screens in the last ten years and we should rather take a break.
Frank's Stupidity Was His Worst Enemy
posted on 26 Aug 2009I thought the movie was very entertaining and I purchased the DVD for my collection. A couple of things struck me as odd to the point that I researched them after watching the movie to see if they were true. Frank Lucas has been built up as a criminal genius, when in fact, he was done in by his own stupidity. For example: 1. Frank stumbled upon the idea of cutting out the middleman and offering a product that was twice as good as the competition at half the price. He quickly amassed a fortune in excess of 250 million dollars, 200 million of which was in real estate holdings. A really smart guy would have parlayed his criminal earnings into legitimate businesses. Why continue to risk your life and freedom selling dope when you have a fortune in the hundreds of millions? In Frank's case, selling dope was the only way he knew how to make real money. He did own some legitimate businesses, but they were just fronts for heroin distribution. He really had no idea of how to run a legitimate business and how to turn an honest dollar. He also could have sold some of his real estate, invested the money, and lived very comfortably off his interest earnings. However, Frank didn't trust many people, and I assume that his mistrust also included investment advisers. When Frank got out of prison the first time, after serving a 5 year term, he went right back to doing the only thing he knew how to do well: selling heroin. Frank's wife and some of his friends and business associates urged him to get out and quit while he was ahead, but he wouldn't listen.2. It was unbelievable that the cops were able to walk right up to Frank's heroin manufacturing center in the projects. C'mon, no lookouts? No kind of advance warning system? No heavily armed gang to protect his multi-million dollar manufacturing operation? That's crazy. How in the hell could a large group of mostly white guys so much as set foot in a Harlem housing project without setting off a chain reaction of early warnings? Even more significant than the threat of a police raid, Frank should have been concerned about his manufacturing center being raided, robbed, or destroyed by a rival drug gang and planned accordingly.Criminal mastermind/genius? Nah...just a lucky one trick pony who didn't have sense enough to quit while he was ahead.
Great Movie!!!
posted on 24 Aug 2009My 24 yr. old daughter & I saw it today, and we both give it a 10. The chemistry between Denzel & Russell when they finally meet was very real & believable. I was only in Jr. High back then, but old enough to know what was going on. It was a history lesson for my daughter, she said it must have been a drag for people back then to go to pay phones all the time (no cells) and she was surprised at the number of soldiers addicted to heroin while fighting on behalf of the USA, in Vietnam. In summary it was a valid depiction of a true story & how lives were changed for good or bad. I will see it again with my husband. He will go if I see it first & if I like it he'll go see it.
Excellent, for OK
posted on 22 Aug 2009Generic though meaty and detailed period crime piece makes good on it's Hollywood slam-dunk with two charismatic leads, outstanding set design, and director Ridley Scott's hip guidance to boot. It is nice to see all the effort that went into production, as emphasis here clearly falls on the atmosphere with a quite impersonal script guiding the procession. Yes, the film is a tad overlong, crammed with minutia, and awkward in spots, but in the end a lengthy procrastination leading up to the satisfying though under-utilized meeting between Crowe and Washington gets built up to almost epic proportions; like Heat, only a tad cooler, and way more derivative of crime drug cinema of the past.
Ridley does it again!!!
posted on 22 Aug 2009Ridley Scott should be fined for making unbelievable motion pictures. I couldn't take my eyes of it for a second. This film will definitely be ranked as one of the all time greats next to The Godfather, Goodfellas, Scarface, and The Departed. What an amazing movie, the acting is sensational with Denzel as "The Man" and Crowe as "The Cop". I don't know Scott does it but every time he steps behind the camera he continues to ignite the screen with rich details and visual sequences.Although not as violent as his other films, Gangster maintains a sense of continuity and balance. It's not a killfest like The Departed but it's not talky like Carilto's Way: Rise to Power. I'm not going to tell you a thing to about the move because it's an experience you need to go through yourself.Awesome movie...
One of the best crime films I've seen
posted on 22 Aug 2009Ridley Scott's biopic/mob film "American Gangster" is one of my favorite organized crime movies. The script, direction, cinematography, and acting (particularly from Washington) are all impressive. As a fan of mafia and crime movies, the plot and story make for a great popcorn flick. However, this film does have its downsides. Crowe's storyline sometimes feels like a rip-off of "Serpico". The Richie Roberts' plot line is less interesting than Frank Lucas', and Roberts' family problems hurt the pacing and seem uninspired and unoriginal. Washington's great performance and the fascinating story more than a make up for these slight defects though. There are two versions of the film, the R-rated theatrical and the unrated director's cut. The DVD contains both versions, and the unrated version adds time and plot, not more objectionable material. I slightly preferred the theatrical version, but thought the unrated versions ending was marginally better.I give American Gangster a strong 8/10. If you liked it, I recommend Serpico, The Godfather, Scarface, the Departed, Goodfellas, Casino, Eastern promises, and A History of Violence.
Wait for video release
posted on 10 Aug 2009Just got back from seeing this movie. Seems to have a lot of people excited however I counted at least 10% of the theater walked out on the movie before it was halfway through. Highly disappointing in that the story told probably could have been a Sunday evening story on TV.I think highly of Denzel Washington and his acting was supreme. However the movie drags on and one has to at least understand some basic history of crime in New York around the 1970's. Basically the movie seemed to be a repeat of 'the french connection' as well as 'Serpico'. Good cop, bad cops, bad guys that are really good guys by the movie standards in blurring right and wrong.Parent warning: if your child sees this there is LOTS of cursing and there is just no attempt by the movie makers to show any consequences for being 'bad'. If I was desiring money & power than the movie would lay down the blueprints to accomplish that goal.If I had read this review, I would have waited until it comes out on video/DVD. I suggest the same.
Good, but...
posted on 08 Aug 2009"American Gangster" is a solid mob movie. Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington hand in solid performances, as expected, and Ridley Scott directs the story tastefully, although it could have used a bit more speed. You find yourself looking at your watch a couple of times. Where Scorsese and even De Palma have directed overlong gangster movies that keep you on the edge of your seat from the first minute to the last, Scott made this one as unagitated as most of his great movies ("Alien", "Blade Runner", "Gladiatior") - and apparently people like him for it, so maybe it's just me who's got a problem with that.Personally, I didn't feel connected enough. The main characters don't ever meet each other until the very end and then it's over way too quickly. Especially, Denzel Washington's change of ambition seems a bit rushed there and the ending is more than a bit reminiscent of "GoodFellas". Pretty much the whole film doesn't really feel fresh anymore. We've seen it all. The tense job an unbribable cop has to do in a corrupt environment, the schizophrenic life of a gangster who is a loving family man in one minute and brutal killer with no qualms in the next, the glamorous rise and fall of a gangster boss. It never really gets old, but the more movies like this are being made, the less surprising they are.As a depiction of life and crime in the 60's and 70's, this year's "Zodiac" was the more entertaining movie. "American Gangster" is still well worth seeing, but not among this year's highlights.
Epic movie that reveals how a NY drug lord went up and then came down.
posted on 02 Aug 2009An internet search reveals much about the two main characters in this film. They were, and still are, real people whose lives are portrayed fairly accurately in "American Gangster." In one interview Lucas says the movie is about 75% accurate regarding his life. Likewise, Richey Roberts in a different interview cites some discrepancies, but overall the characterizations are correct.The movie tells the stories of Frank Lucas and Richie Roberts using parallel story lines. Lucas wanting to get rich, and seeing street drugs as the way to do it. Circumventing traditional routes and middlemen, he went directly to SE Asia and bought very pure drugs at the source, and used American servicemen to help him smuggle the drugs into the USA, using special made coffins with concealed bottoms.While Lucas was developing his business model, Roberts was studying law at night while working as a Detective in New Jersey. Based on his good work he was eventually given the task of heading up a drug squad with the mandate to go only after the big guys. Fate would eventually bring Lucas to Roberts.This is an extremely good movie. Even though the theatrical version on DVD is about 2 and 1/2 hours long, it never seems long. Denzel Washington a few years ago beat out Crowe for the Best Actor Oscar in "Training Day", an award many thought he did not deserve over Crowe's role in "A Beautiful Mind." But here Washington redeems himself as Frank Lucas. And, that same Russell Crowe is here as Det. Richie Roberts. Both of them are superb.SPOILERS: The movie follows the historical account pretty well, as Roberts and a squad of police raid Lucas' home and his drug operation, and seize his assets. Lucas went to prison but his sentence was cut short because he cooperated to identify a very large number of men on the NYC police force who were dirty. Roberts became a defense attorney and ironically later defended Frank Lucas in court. He also became the godfather of one of Lucas' sons.
What the heck was Denzel & Scott thinking...
posted on 31 Jul 2009This movie was horrible, I wrote an online blog about it and sent it to over 300 of my friends and colleagues I don't know what Ridley Scott was thinking nor Denzel Washington for that matter. There were too many insignificant stories going on...the plot was weak, there was an extreme over saturation of actor/entertainers that no one cared about (ie: Common, and TI and the horrible actress that played Denzel's wife- my God her performance made Mariah Carey's in the movie Glitter seem Oscar worthy).There were also too many camera panning debacles, hair, makeup and wardrobe was horrible- the scenery at times didn't match the period in time in which the story was being told (hence the 1 train coming out of the subway -then a panning over to 8th avenue and 135th street)Come on guys- New Yorkers, notice everything about our city-just like I noticed that they shot the Williamsburg Bridge in a scene that was supposed to represent New Jersey. What the hell was that? This was a horrible waste of film and casting and an insult to intellectual movie viewers with half a braincell. Can someone tell me what's really going on in Hollywood -no wonder Tyler Perry opened at #1 with his over saturated - cinematic mess - I expected more from Scott and Mr. Washingon- tell me is everyone in movie-land on "blue magic?" I literally struggled to give this movie 2 stars.
Overrated, over-hyped, over and out!
posted on 31 Jul 2009I saw a free screening of American "GAGster" and it was worth every penny. Not that I was expecting much. Ridley Scott hasn't directed anything other than garbage since 1982. (Blade Runner.) Russell Crowe's and Denzel Washington's last good performances were in 1999. (The Insider and Hurricane, respectively.) Still, this was a much bigger mess than anticipated. Crowe's accent can only be described as "Crocodile Dundee Goes to Harlem." And Washington continues to sleepwalk through every role--was he REALLY hypnotized in that awful remake of "The Manchurian Candidate"? And why does Josh Brolin sport a mullet, facial hair, and leisure suit straight out of "Boogie Nights" in 1968? I could go on, but why bother? If this is what passes for a good Hollywood popcorn movie these days, maybe the Writer's Strike isn't such a bad thing.
Its 'The Wire' set in the sixties.
posted on 29 Jul 2009The heavyweights team up for this film and it shows, Ridley Scott directs Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe in the true story of Frank Lucas a big time drugs baron in the late sixties. The story is rooted in truth so doesn't have the theatrics of say 'The Departed' but it is a traditional cops and robbers story played out brilliantly by all involved. Washington is brilliant as the uber cool Lucas ducking and diving his way around the big city with all his brothers fronting what appear to be legitimate business's that actually launder the drugs and money. Crowe (Richie) is the cop determined to take down Frank's organisation and find out where the stuff comes from and which cops pockets are being lined to let Frank become so powerful in the first place. Will Richie the laughing stock of the force behind closed doors, he refuses to take bribes and even returned a million pounds he found in a car, manage to hold on to his integrity and get the job done?. There is a very powerful scene in the middle of the film that flicks between Franks mansion and Richie's flat, Frank carving up an enormous turkey with all the trimmings and Richie making a crisp sandwich, it just goes to illustrate how far apart these two are, being good doesn't bring you wealth and happiness seems to be the message but will Frank get his comeuppance eventually or will the mouse always stay one step ahead of the cat? The whole way the film is shot with a pale wash bleeds the colours out slightly and gives a very authentic feel that works well when it cuts in actual footage of Vietnam, Nixon giving a speech or the recreation of a famous Mohammed Ali fight. But it really is the two main characters that give this film its momentum and without the performances of Washington and Crowe it wouldn't have half the impact it does and it's a story so wild it's hard to believe it actually happened. Gritty, real and engaging American Gangster is up there with any film by Scorsese or Stone and sees Ridley back on top form where he belongs.
The nerve to be EPIC
posted on 23 Jul 2009Firstly, this isn't an action movie. It's a Hollywood masterpiece. One that Ridley Scott can be very proud of. It's almost as if the Godfather had been redone for audiences of the 21st Century. The main effects and motives of this story are: The acting- Sheer, brilliant and incomparable, this is a pairing and a half. The two actors are dazzling and flawless. Both Crow and Washington deserve Oscars for this.The story- This, also is sensational. The pace and timing of it can't be bettered. The excitement of every new scene is a joy to watch.Directoin- Can't be better, Scott has proved he can do a Gangster film, and pull it off in flair and style.So, if looking for a good enjoyable film that carries a very descent story, successive acting and direction to take your breath away, look no further than the new Godfather-American GANGSTER!
Phenomenal
posted on 21 Jul 2009This movie had everything one could ask for to make it a film that is nearly flawless. The story was great, since the film is in fact based on a true story it makes the overall film that much more interesting and unique. Although it was a tad on the long side, there is enough interesting material to keep the viewers watching.What makes the film so well done is the fact that it is not a copy of anything anybody has already seen before. Although it may seem like it at first, the viewers can take comfort in that fact that they won't have any feelings of Daja Vu. Denzel Washington and Russel Crowe's characters were both very in depth characters, which is good because the viewer may also take comfort in the fact that they will most likely leave the theatre feeling very satisfied without any unanswered questions, thanks to the fact that both the story and the characters were explained very thoroughly. The acting was outstanding, thanks to Russel Crowe and Dezel Washington. The fact that their overall acting performance was phenomenal it may change your whole opinion on the movie for the better.I have never really been a big fan of movies that are longer then they need to be, but that's just me. However like I said before, there is enough material in here that keeps the movie going, and there's enough that the viewers won't feel that the movie is to repetitive or overdone. This movie is just right for anyone weather it be a fan of action, drama, crime, suspense, or anything of that nature.Although typically this movie isn't meant to be an action movie, there is plenty of action, which is a good thing because the movie does an excellent job of pulling the action off in a way that is for the better rather then for the worse. Overall, this is a movie that is done right in all areas. Any fan of action, crime, etc, will definitely find this movie worth while and could watch it without having a single regret.
Smooth Criminal
posted on 21 Jul 2009Whadaya know - Crime DOES pay! Or so it seems at the conclusion of *American Gangster*, when a career gangster and a struggling cop are laffing it up in a montage, collaborating to bring down the gangster's empire. I'll get to that subtle mismanaged message in a moment.Denzel Washington plies his smoothie-smooth smoothness as Original Gangster, Frank Lucas, simultaneously elevating the movie and ruining it. You see, the real Frank Lucas in 1968 Harlem was a devil of the streets, an iron-balled, malevolent drug boss, who ran the ghettos and 'burbs like a chinchilla-coated, pimp-fisted Hitler. Casting Denzel was less about conveying the horrifying aspect of a sociopath crime lord than it was about presenting a man-toy whom women wanted to DO as much as men wanted to BE; his velvety charm, less about repulsing people than coercing them through box office turnstiles.Russell Crowe is Lucas' nemesis, the dogged, disheveled detective, Richie Roberts, as unsophisticated and unorganized as Lucas is classy and controlled. Roberts alienated his police pals by turning in a million dollars drug cash he found on the streets, instead of swanking it amongst himself and friends. Everyone is painted as morally swingshift, only looking out for themselves; even Roberts, though he is determined to smoke out Lucas, cannot get his own house in order, as he studies for bar exams while his Movie-Convention Nagging Ex-Wife (Carla Gugino) never has a decent thing to say about his child visitations or his three-day-growth existence.Then there's Josh Brolin, struttin' leather-coated and coolly cruel through Harlem's underbelly like a kingpin himself, until it is revealed he is a dirty cop playing both sides of the street.Lucas inherits legendary Bumpy Johnson's street empire when Bumpy dies in his arms. Rather than allow the neighborhood smack to wind its way through innumerable middle men, Lucas goes straight to their Bangkok source and sets up a direct line of purchase, smuggling the heroin into the U.S. in the caskets of dead G.I.'s returning from Viet Nam. They called it the "Cadaver Connection." His sizzling-pure product (called Blue Magic) becomes renowned for being twice as good for half the price. Even Richie Roberts' partner succumbs to the taste. While Roberts and his ragtag team of do-gooders try to sniff out who is flooding the streets with H so good that veteran junkies are dying from its potency, Lucas is busy buying a mansion for his mama and setting up his many brothers in positions of power on the streets, a familial tactic employed by old school Italians.This movie lacks for iconic moments: *American Gangster* might be taking its cues from *The Godfather*, and may be aiming for characterization rather than shoot-em-up, but there are few magic moments that burn themselves into your brain.Ridley Scott directs excellently, but his writer (Steven Zaillian, from an article by Mark Jacobson) gives him no moments like Brando's opening monologue, or Michael proclaiming, "It's just business, Sonny"; or Luca Brasi's tongue-tied meeting with the Godfather et al. When Lucas ironically proclaims "This is America!" it is as far removed from Amerigo Bonasera's sincere proclamation of "I love America" as Denzel is from Brando.Even when Denzel is quoting some of Lucas' own priceless thuggery, he is just Too Sexy-Smooth to pull off a chilling take. We are never "horrified" by this monster of a man – the first scene features him expressionlessly shooting a man dead who is already on fire. But it's Denzel. Lucas set up one of his initiation moments himself and the reality is disturbing: giving one of the baddest neighborhood thugs $5000 in dope and then harassing him for payment publicly, with the unswerving intent to shoot the guy as a lesson for the neighborhood… The paradoxical message in *American Gangster*: obviously, the MPAA forces scriptwriters to bring gangsters to justice – and ultimately, Lucas is caught - but the overarching message this movie sends is that life's gonna suck anyway at some point (just look at Roberts' sorry life, even being on the "right" side of the law), so while you've got a grip on Life – squeeze! For all it's worth. You may stay on top, but if it all falls through, you would have still lived a better life than the average bear. For didn't Lucas live miles above Roberts throughout his life? Money and cars and mansions and a Puerto Rican model for a wife. At the end, the Robin Hood of Harlem was reportedly worth more than $150 million. And then when he *did* get caught, he sang like a canary, gave up his backstreet boys and was sentenced to 70 years, out in five. I think that five years of confinement is worth 20 years of mansion living. How 'bout you? Denzel and Crowe play the final laughing scenes like a coupla buddies over beer and pizza. Why not? Lucas cut a deal finer than his Blue Magic. In real life, Roberts even became Lucas' defense attorney in the 1990s.Crime = glamour. Crime = hotness. Crime = smoothness.Now where'd I put my chinchilla fur coat?
Making a hero out of Gangster
posted on 17 Jul 2009A great star cast, trailer and the time duration of the movie attracted me to go and watch it.It is a true story of a drug lord in 1960-70s America, Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) – the first African American underworld kingpin. He learns his ropes early in life and manages to source the drugs from Thailand through Vietnam's US war plans bringing back coffins. Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe), an honest cop (but dishonest husband entangled in a broken marriage and divorce lawsuit) gets the job of putting an end to the New York drug market. Frank operates with very low profile so Richie is not able to trace him early on, but evidently does – and pins Franks down, who is also under pressure from rival Italian drug mafia and local police. Franks divulges the entire network of corrupt drug chain operating (the largest expose until date) and hundreds are convicted. Frank serves two terms adding to 15 years and comes out of prison in 1991, with no family or money or life.Denzel Washington – with quite similar looks to Frank, was waiting for this role since last 5 years, and when it materialized – in his own style has rendered complete heart and soul to the complex religious but society and people ruining drug lord. Russell Crowe on other side, portrays a more relaxed but real portray of Richie Roberts – very believable. In contrast Denzel's portrayal is larger than life, and the script intends to make a hero out of this terrible gangster – which is sad part of the story.Otherwise, Ridley Scott has done marvelous job in producing and directing the movie. He maintains a tight script – moving between Denzel and Richie's life, and with a long run time, grips you within the first 40-50 minutes. The lead up to the final hour is very interesting.Ridley maintains a 35 mm format for this movie and packs up a lot of 70s style of production – much similar to what one can compare with brown tone filming and a parallel to Scarface.A treat to watch the engaging scene between Denzel and Russell, especially the style with which Denzel shifts the coffee glass! Ah…those scenes would be remembered in history of cinema in good face to face coming of two good actors.(Stars 8 out of 10)
Promises a lot, delivers very little
posted on 15 Jul 2009Oscar season is here and the first real major film that wants to challenge for this years Best Film award is here.Oh boy has the marketing machine worked its magic here. This film wants to be taken seriously, as seriously as The Godfather or Goodfellas, from everything from the slick trailers to the simple yet stylish movie posters and even intro credits.The main selling point of this film are the lead actors Denzel Washington and Rusell Crowe.I'll drop my first humdinger by saying I don;t think these actors are anything special nor are they even in the top few actors around at the current time.Rusell Crowe has only ever impressed me in one film. The best film he has been in was LA Confidential, but that wasn't really down to him. In that film he played something of an oaf with little emotion. In Romper Stomer he played something of a thug. And in his award winning performance in Gladiator he played something, yes you guessed it, an oaf and a thug. I should add in here that Gladiator is in my opinion an utterly awful and overrated film with little substance. If American Gangster was to go on and win the Oscar for Best Film like Gladiator did then it would only cost the Academy Awards the little bit of credibility they have left IMO.It is not all bad though because Crowe did put in a performance to be remembered in the film 'The Insider' which I thought was actually VERY good and easily the best performance I have seen form him (Beautiful Mind included).Next we have Denzel Washington. An actor who IMO was nothing special. He then won an Oscar for Tarining Day and was propelled to mega-actor status. Since then he hasn't really put in a truly brilliant performance. The thing I don't like about Washington is arrogance, he exudes it, I am not sure if its on purpose or not but I think he can certainly add it - just look at his character in Training Day - arrogant to the extreme and this kind of carries on into other films, Inside Man for example. He is also a bit annoying in this film, whenever me says 'My Man' and smiles I just want to slap his face.However, both of these guys have been in fairly decent films recently, especially Crow in 3.10 to Yuma. So I was of course open to them putting in great performances to make this a great film.I am not going to go over every point of the film but I Will quickly go over its major flaws Accents - come on Crowe - you are meant to be one of the best. Crowes accent was all over the place in this movie. There is a thread running on IMDb currently running at 6+ pages debating this point but I am 100% sure his accent wasn't consistent throughout.Gangster - this isn't a gangster film in the truest sense. Its nothing like Goodfellas/Scarface/The Departed/Usual Suspects etc. So you Will Be disappointed they used this title and made it look like something that it definitely is not (marketing eh?) instead expect something slower, much much slower...If you want to see loads of guns and killings and underground activity then this isn't the film for you.The length and pacing of this film is all wrong. It is too slow and too long. The vast majority of scenes jump from one place to another too quickly. Most of the scenes are too short and there are probably only 2 or 3 really decent scenes. For my money none of these scenes really build up to some sort of peak like they do in the great movies.So what about Washington and Crowe? Well it is fair to say Crowe was much better in 3.10 to Yuma and in this film he is only really something of a bit part character as he is probably only getting 30% of screen time compared to Washingstons 70%. They were both OK but nothing special.Good points? Well there are not many. Of course the sets and costumes were definitely decent. The music was good but I was disappointed with the plot.Having read some of the comments at IMDb the 2 most appropriate words would be 'uninspiring' and 'dull' - its an OK film but it's definitely not as good as they are trying to make it look.Overall the film is above average. 7/10 - best of the year? Not at all. 3.10 to Yuma is much better overall and deserves any award before American Gangster.
New Jack
posted on 15 Jul 2009Nude people in the drug mixing room? Didn't I see that in the 1991 release of "New Jack City".Was it a rip? I thought it was a nice touch anyhow...The squalid apartment blocks is this were very gritty - you could almost taste and smell the human waste. How ironic that a black man fed so much poison (heroin) to so many black people and yet still managed to take his dear old mum to church every Sunday.I wonder if his wife really was "Miss Puerto Rico"?In the portrayal of "Bumpy Johnson" by Lawrence Fishburn in the movie "Hoodlum" he is locked into a battle of the streets of Harlem with "Dutch Shultz", played by Tim Roth. Did Bumpy really die of natural causes?
Simply, a masterpiece. One of the best of the year and the history.
posted on 28 Aug 2009"American Gangster"..... What can I say? American Gangster is not an usual film. It's special. It has all that a film can dream. It arrives to the perfection. Ridley Scott is one of the best directors (in my own opinion) of the history. I think that American Gangster is his best film since Gladiator. Well, the acting is superb. What a wonderful acting! Russell Crowe, Denzel Washington, Ruby Dee, Carla Gugino, Josh Brolin.... And fortunately, Cuba Gooding Jr. probably will put a new direction in his career, because his last films were absolutely awful. The recreation of the 70's is perfect in all the things. The soundtrack has good songs and it adapts very well to the film in every moment that appears. The script is simply, but often, a simply script makes a masterpiece. And finally, Ridley Scott rules! My man, make more perfect films. And I just want to recommend this wonderful jewel of the cinema. RIDLEY SCOTT RULES! American GANGSTER RULES!