spaj
11-18-2007, 5:41 AM
Ridley Scott seems to have an infinite amount of flexibility. Whether it's G.I. Jane, Gladiator, or heck, In Her Shoes, he never fails to deliver the entertainment we all crave as consumers.
American Gangster, his most recent and arguably one of his best productions, begins in 1968 New York. The film starts off with a short conversation between Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) and his mentor, 'Bumpy', who dies shortly after. We are then introduced to Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) and his sidekick, who is apparently the only 'honest' cop in New York.
Right off the bat you've already sank into a darker version of cops and robbers. Rather, in this movie, it seems to be 'one cop and everyone else'. You begin to grasp the grim nature of gangsters and drugs. The concept of good cop bad cop comes naturally to you (with Josh Brolin [Planet Terror] playing as the 'special' Detective Trupo). Swear words, naked women processing heroin, dealing drugs with soldiers in Vietnam and killing a potential threat to Lucas' drug monopoly in the middle of a street are all second nature.
Washington plays the role of Lucas as if Washington is his reincarnation. The contrast between the kingpin of 'Blue Magic' of over 45 blocks in New York and Lucas' glamorous pseudo-celebrity lifestyle give you a flawless reality check.
What really seems to shine in American Gangster is the way African-Americans are portrayed throughout. Even with guest appearances from T.I. and Common, Gangster seems to reposition your judgment towards black people of the late 1960s. While the concept of family and 'brothers' is of utmost importance to them, we see Lucas go to desperate measures to kill off any threats, whether they're part of his direct family or not.
However, the biggest mistake of Gangster is that it tends to drag on. Sure, the story is structured and the plot is rich and thick, it's difficult to see the end of the movie. You might be able to guess what happens to Lucas right from the start -- but following the denouement after much hard work from Richie, the story decides to continue: a decision that shouldn't have been made. Gangster is the kind of movie you need to approach when your brain is working at full power -- it's long, the plot isn't obviously distributed to the audience, and there are many names and places to remember.
Despite the fact you probably won't want to see this with your significant other, American Gangster provides a thought-provoking and rich approach to a gangster movie.
:heya::heya::heya::heya:/5.
American Gangster, his most recent and arguably one of his best productions, begins in 1968 New York. The film starts off with a short conversation between Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) and his mentor, 'Bumpy', who dies shortly after. We are then introduced to Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) and his sidekick, who is apparently the only 'honest' cop in New York.
Right off the bat you've already sank into a darker version of cops and robbers. Rather, in this movie, it seems to be 'one cop and everyone else'. You begin to grasp the grim nature of gangsters and drugs. The concept of good cop bad cop comes naturally to you (with Josh Brolin [Planet Terror] playing as the 'special' Detective Trupo). Swear words, naked women processing heroin, dealing drugs with soldiers in Vietnam and killing a potential threat to Lucas' drug monopoly in the middle of a street are all second nature.
Washington plays the role of Lucas as if Washington is his reincarnation. The contrast between the kingpin of 'Blue Magic' of over 45 blocks in New York and Lucas' glamorous pseudo-celebrity lifestyle give you a flawless reality check.
What really seems to shine in American Gangster is the way African-Americans are portrayed throughout. Even with guest appearances from T.I. and Common, Gangster seems to reposition your judgment towards black people of the late 1960s. While the concept of family and 'brothers' is of utmost importance to them, we see Lucas go to desperate measures to kill off any threats, whether they're part of his direct family or not.
However, the biggest mistake of Gangster is that it tends to drag on. Sure, the story is structured and the plot is rich and thick, it's difficult to see the end of the movie. You might be able to guess what happens to Lucas right from the start -- but following the denouement after much hard work from Richie, the story decides to continue: a decision that shouldn't have been made. Gangster is the kind of movie you need to approach when your brain is working at full power -- it's long, the plot isn't obviously distributed to the audience, and there are many names and places to remember.
Despite the fact you probably won't want to see this with your significant other, American Gangster provides a thought-provoking and rich approach to a gangster movie.
:heya::heya::heya::heya:/5.