American Gangster - Review
After waiting for a long time I finally decided to watch American Gangster, a film over which the critics went ga-ga. Along with a star studded cast including Oscar Winners Denzel Washington and Russel Crowe, the Oscar winner director, Ridley Scott, teams up with Oscar winner Steven Zaillian, who have written many a hits including Mission Impossible and Schindler's List, brings a real story to life in this film which has been called by the RollingStones the black "Scarface" or the Harlem "Godfather".
In 1968 Harlem, drug kingpin "Bumpy" Johnson (Clarence Williams III) philosophizes to his driver/collector Frank Lucas (Washington) about the toll of discount appliance stores and fast food. "This is what's wrong with America. It's gotten so big, you just can't find your way," Johnson opines. "Where's the pride of ownership? Where's the personal service?" Shortly Bumpy suffers a heart attack and dies. Soon after Bumpy's death Frank seizes the opportunity and keeping Bumpy's lecture about eliminating the middle men he sets up his own drug trafficking route right from the source, Vietnam.
Along with the other plot another parallel plot about Richie Roberts(Russel Crowe), who plays the last honest cop in a time where the majority of the police were corrupt. He soon becomes the leader of the Essex County Narcotic Squad. He decides to go for the top dogs in the game and soon gets locked on Lucas Frank when, contrary to his ordinary custom, he wears a $50,000 dollar chinchilla coat-and-hat combo to an event at the behest of his Puerto Rican beauty queen wife.
My Verdict- Although it would be blasphemy to compare it to Godfather, American Gangster is pretty good in its own way. The 158 minute movie does tend to be on the slower side for most of the part, but picks up pace towards the end. The thing that stands out in this movie are the performances by the two protagonists Denzel Washington and Russel Crowe. Denzel Washington dazzles the screen in a performance that may be deemed the best in his career. Denzel oscillates from one masterful display of emotion to another with an ease that doesn't come as a surprise to those who know him. Russel Crowe also put up an excellent performance, if not his best to date. Steven Zaillian comes up with an incredibly detailed screenplay which is well developed in an enthralling film by the Gladiator director, Ridley Scott. The plots are intertwined beautifully rendering a confrontation towards the end between the Lucas and Richie in which sparks fly. Anyone who loves good movies won't be disappointed by getting a DVD and watch it if you had missed it when it was on theaters.
My Rating - 4/5
Buy it from Amazon here -American Gangster (2-Disc Unrated Extended Edition)
In 1968 Harlem, drug kingpin "Bumpy" Johnson (Clarence Williams III) philosophizes to his driver/collector Frank Lucas (Washington) about the toll of discount appliance stores and fast food. "This is what's wrong with America. It's gotten so big, you just can't find your way," Johnson opines. "Where's the pride of ownership? Where's the personal service?" Shortly Bumpy suffers a heart attack and dies. Soon after Bumpy's death Frank seizes the opportunity and keeping Bumpy's lecture about eliminating the middle men he sets up his own drug trafficking route right from the source, Vietnam.
Along with the other plot another parallel plot about Richie Roberts(Russel Crowe), who plays the last honest cop in a time where the majority of the police were corrupt. He soon becomes the leader of the Essex County Narcotic Squad. He decides to go for the top dogs in the game and soon gets locked on Lucas Frank when, contrary to his ordinary custom, he wears a $50,000 dollar chinchilla coat-and-hat combo to an event at the behest of his Puerto Rican beauty queen wife.
My Verdict- Although it would be blasphemy to compare it to Godfather, American Gangster is pretty good in its own way. The 158 minute movie does tend to be on the slower side for most of the part, but picks up pace towards the end. The thing that stands out in this movie are the performances by the two protagonists Denzel Washington and Russel Crowe. Denzel Washington dazzles the screen in a performance that may be deemed the best in his career. Denzel oscillates from one masterful display of emotion to another with an ease that doesn't come as a surprise to those who know him. Russel Crowe also put up an excellent performance, if not his best to date. Steven Zaillian comes up with an incredibly detailed screenplay which is well developed in an enthralling film by the Gladiator director, Ridley Scott. The plots are intertwined beautifully rendering a confrontation towards the end between the Lucas and Richie in which sparks fly. Anyone who loves good movies won't be disappointed by getting a DVD and watch it if you had missed it when it was on theaters.
My Rating - 4/5
Buy it from Amazon here -American Gangster (2-Disc Unrated Extended Edition)
