American Gangster Reviews

Big, perfunctory, and obviously reaching for the lofty heights of Martin Scorsese’s gangster epics or Francis Ford Coppola’s Godfather series, American Gangster is the bloated sight of a former master coasting. Here is a wannabe prestige epic about a real-life figure that coasts along an unearned sense of import without providing any memorable images or excavation of its characters moral weight. There are bland poses made towards trying to contort Frank Lucas into a symbol of upward mobility and American “can-do” spirit but contrasting him with Richie Roberts just unintentionally glamorizes the gangster to the point that his violence becomes defanged.

Hell, I just watched American Gangster and I’m having a hard time conjuring much of it back up in my memory. Ridley Scott circa Alien or Blade Runner would’ve turned this into a memorable affair, but present-day Scott is all veneer without atmosphere. His films deflate from the mind soon after the final credits roll. Do you really remember much about Alien: Covenant or The Martian?

Scott’s choice to make Richie and Frank two sides of the same coin is borderline inane. Sure, Frank Lucas is a stone-cold killer, selling heroin in his neighborhood, and coopting soldiers’ caskets to sneak his illicit goods in, but Richie is going through a rough divorce and is maybe not the best father to his kid. Some of this story is completely fabricated and it sticks out like a sore thumb which one it is. These men are not somehow spiritual brothers and trying to force the strange detours of their life stories into a digestible framework doesn’t do them any justice.

It doesn’t help that Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe appear disengaged from the material. Washington has gone deep into villainy before, but he somehow plays Lucas as too noble or too beatific. One never gets the sense of danger he brought to Training Day or the complete transformation into amorality he brought to Fences. Crowe just appears dyspeptic. Where is the transformative work he brought to L.A. Confidential or The Insider? He was far better in another bloated Scott vehicle, Gladiator. (Please read that in full drunken Elizabeth Taylor at the Golden Globes voice.)

Supporting players bring more color and fire with Josh Brolin going full cartoon as a crooked cop, Cuba Gooding Jr. in full ham as a rival gangster, and Ruby Dee glides through the film bringing decades of experience into a small role that nearly salvages the wider film at various points. Dee has several small but powerful moments, including a glower while exiting a church that’s reactive, silent acting at its finest. Her greatest moment is the towering slap and threatening to abandon her child where she scorches the earth with her gravitas and controlled rage. She is not only exerting her right to be heard by her son but asserting her authority. Dee’s screen time is minimal but what she does with it is the art and magic of acting at its finest.

Late career Oscar bait this is not. Or maybe it is, but it’s not a successful gambit like The Departed, Scorsese’s late-career Oscar make-good that’s also a wildly entertaining film. American Gangster exists, I know I watched all its near three-hour running time, but I’ll be damned if anything other than boredom and incredibility managed to linger in my mind.

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.