Reviews of American Gangster

The Highs & Lo's of The American Dream

Posted : 8 months ago on 3 May 2009 06:24 (A review of American Gangster)

A great crime drama in a time when such films have become rare without the boost of big banging shoot-em up guns blasting away.
Though based on a real story of a drug kingpin & the police detective determined to bring him down, the film goes down the path of the ever prevalent poetic licensing that these types of films tend to take, in order to focus more on the story of the rise & fall of an Amarican gangster whose distrubution of only the purest of heroin whilst eliminating the "middleman" changed the way drugs became distributed on the streets.
Denzel Washington plays the crimelord who sees his only option towards the American Dream is his wry combination of street-savy intellect & non-hesitant ruthlessness. Russell Crowes seemlessly tackles the part of the leader of a police task-force whose unwavering straight-edged honesty serves as both crutch & "cure" to the corrupt laden NYC precincts.
Both actors move through their respective roles with a chemistrytic ease that can only result from two artisans both comfortable & confident with their craft.

American Gangster is definitely worth a hit.




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An amazing crime drama!

Posted : 1 year, 7 months ago on 12 May 2008 02:30 (A review of American Gangster)

"Frank Lucas is the most dangerous man walking the streets of our city."

American Gangster is another film of 2007 that separates the audiences who seek rubbish blockbusters (like Transformers, Spider-Man 3, etc) and those who seek fine filmmaking no matter how slowly the film is paced. To like this film, you must be part of the latter.

Ridley Scott's latest directorial outing is nothing short of a masterpiece; an expertly crafted intense American crime drama led by talented stars and a director in top form.

Before getting on with this review I must be perfectly frank: the trailer for American Gangster was the worst way to advertise the film and does no justice to the final product. I wasn't at all interested in the film after watching the trailer; however I was pulled along after winning tickets. I entered the cinema with little expectations...but after exiting that cinema I realised that I had just witnessed one of the best films of 2007 and possibly Ridley Scott's finest hour. American Gangster is very powerful and heavy at times; showcasing strong violence, drug use, nudity and lots of profanity...the rating reflects the maturity and age one must reach in order to view the material. While I was in the cinema watching the film I was shocked to see youngsters as young as five or six being allowed by their parents to exhibit this heavily mature production.

American Gangster is based on the true story about drug kingpin Frank Lucas (Washington) who became the first black man to successfully smuggle drugs into the United States. He begins his smuggling career by using coffins containing dead soldiers (and high class drugs) shipped back from Vietnam. Frank's product is the purest on the market and is in massive demand amongst the consumers. We follow Frank as he grows his drug industry, while at the other end of the law he is being shadowed by a cop named Richie Roberts (Crowe). Richie's objective is to finally bring the drug kingpin to justice and prevent any further damage to the American population.

Ridley Scott's directing absolutely blew me away. Every scene is meticulously crafted and adds new meaning to the plot with not a wasted second: this film is one of the finest of its genre. With his skilled direction and authoritative images, the audience will feel compelled to shut up and watch for the film's duration of almost 3 hours. Scott is always a perfectionist when he is behind the camera. His determination shines.

I must also mention the performances from everyone in the cast...they were all incredibly amazing. Denzel Washington is flawless in the title role. We have never seen Denzel portray a character like this one. This alone shows his versatility as a performer. Russell Crowe's portrayal is stellar and concentrated. While watching the movie I was especially engaged in every line that Crowe delivered. He is also realistic and believable. Credit must go to each and every cast member for their stellar efforts.

Throughout the film's running time there is little action and hence will be found boring by those who crave Michael Bay rubbish. However the action that unfolds on screen during those rare occasions is both heavy and difficult to watch. I sat in awe; hypnotised by the film's power and brilliance. After the screening of the film concluded I left the cinema in silence. I was stunned at the brilliance of this masterpiece.

Many people overlooked this movie because of its long running time and automatically classified this as "boring" due to little action. It's a shame that modern movie audiences only look for blockbusters that are created far too frequently these days. Masterpieces of this stature are rarities in Hollywood during this day and age. I wish that filmmakers would focus on masterpieces in lieu of blockbusters.

I'm going to make this very clear: if you're expecting non-stop action and 2D characters, stay very clear. But if you're looking for an expertly crafted modern masterpiece, watch this movie without hesitation. Plain and simply, American Gangster is one of the best films of 2007.

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Tells it like it is!

Posted : 1 year, 11 months ago on 20 January 2008 09:45 (A review of American Gangster)

Every bit as good as I anticipated. Doesn't showboat like some of the great crime films that came before it, it just tells it like it is. Crowe and Washington bring it big time!

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oscar worthy

Posted : 2 years, 1 month ago on 12 November 2007 10:32 (A review of American Gangster)

Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe star in "American Gangster" the the movie about the rise and fall of Frank Lucas a herion dealer who buys right from the source. Russell Crowe plays Ritchie Roberts the cop that brought down Frank Lucas. "American Gangster" follows in the tradition of Martin Scorsese's earlier work in "GoodFellas","The Departed",and "casino". "American Gangster" opens with Frank brutally killing someone dousing them in gasoline ,setting the person on fire, and then unloading 9 bullets on the person finally killing him. Followed shortley by the opening title. "American Gangster" is a gritty ,yet powerfully dramatic and dark crime thriller to please everyone who is a fan of the crime/drama genre.Rusell Crowe and Denzel Washington provide Steller performances. Followed by a great ensemble cast.

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