NewMarketSean
10-28-2007, 10:07 AM
A week before it comes out in theaters.
Here's the review I've been sending to some movie websites seeing if my early review can get posted.
I saw American Gangster last night. I can’t say how I saw it, but I did.
I was looking forward to this film, since it has an excellent trio of talent associated with it. Denzel Washington is still one of the most gripping actors on the planet. While Russell Crowe is no longer in his high-quality Gladiator and Master and Commander mode, he’s still an energetic actor who realistically becomes the character he is playing, something rare for such a big star. And Ridley Scott is one of the most focused directors around. I was sure that this film would be an Oscar contender come February and was excited to see it a week before it’s release in theaters.
Unfortunately, AG didn’t live up to my somewhat lofty expectations. I must say that I was eagerly expecting a Harlem Scarface, but when that’s exactly what I was given, I was somewhat disappointed.
The film didn’t really being anything new to the “rise to power” storyline that screenwriter Steven Zaillian employs. The only original concept that I could find in the film was that Denzel’s Frank Lucas is a savvy businessman instead of a drug-addicted power-addict like Tony Montana. He delivers a quality product of Heroin at prices half the cost of the competition and takes care of his family and friends.
Russell Crowe plays Richie Roberts, an honest cop assigned to busting the Harlem drug ring. His life is a mess while Frank’s is in order. Richie is going through a nasty custody battle while sleeping around with other women, including his lawyer. When Richie is put on Frank’s trail, in one of the film’s better sequences, he compiles a team of honest cops to bring him down.
From this point, the movie almost becomes The Wire, with Richie’s team employing various methods to get a drop on Frank’s operation. After arresting one of Frank’s brothers and getting him to wear a wire, the team learns that Frank is getting his pure Heroin from Bangkok by smuggling it into the country inside the casket of dead American soldiers brought back from Vietnam.
Everyone in the film is professional, and the Scott keeps things focused. However they fail to bring anything new to the “rise to power” storyline and this ultimately holds the film back from reaching the upper echelon of films dealing with the same subject matter.
What makes these kinds of films fun to watch is seeing the main character’s rise from nothing, and when AG begins, Frank Lucas is already second in command to Harlem gangster Bumpy Johnson. Had we seen how Frank got associated with Bumpy when Frank was much younger, and how Frank used Bumpy’s words of wisdom when he came to power, we would have had a greater appreciation of Frank being on top of Harlem’s drug operation. But instead it’s like watching the Red Sox or Yankees go back to the World Series. They’re already the favorites to win, so it’s no fun to watch them do what they were supposed to do.
If American Gangster gets nominated for any awards, I imagine it will be for Ridley Scott’s direction. I don’t think any of the films performances are dynamic or showy enough to get them much attention.
Overall, AG is an entertaining film with professionalism abound, but it’s nothing we haven’t seen before.
**½ (out of ****)
Here's the review I've been sending to some movie websites seeing if my early review can get posted.
I saw American Gangster last night. I can’t say how I saw it, but I did.
I was looking forward to this film, since it has an excellent trio of talent associated with it. Denzel Washington is still one of the most gripping actors on the planet. While Russell Crowe is no longer in his high-quality Gladiator and Master and Commander mode, he’s still an energetic actor who realistically becomes the character he is playing, something rare for such a big star. And Ridley Scott is one of the most focused directors around. I was sure that this film would be an Oscar contender come February and was excited to see it a week before it’s release in theaters.
Unfortunately, AG didn’t live up to my somewhat lofty expectations. I must say that I was eagerly expecting a Harlem Scarface, but when that’s exactly what I was given, I was somewhat disappointed.
The film didn’t really being anything new to the “rise to power” storyline that screenwriter Steven Zaillian employs. The only original concept that I could find in the film was that Denzel’s Frank Lucas is a savvy businessman instead of a drug-addicted power-addict like Tony Montana. He delivers a quality product of Heroin at prices half the cost of the competition and takes care of his family and friends.
Russell Crowe plays Richie Roberts, an honest cop assigned to busting the Harlem drug ring. His life is a mess while Frank’s is in order. Richie is going through a nasty custody battle while sleeping around with other women, including his lawyer. When Richie is put on Frank’s trail, in one of the film’s better sequences, he compiles a team of honest cops to bring him down.
From this point, the movie almost becomes The Wire, with Richie’s team employing various methods to get a drop on Frank’s operation. After arresting one of Frank’s brothers and getting him to wear a wire, the team learns that Frank is getting his pure Heroin from Bangkok by smuggling it into the country inside the casket of dead American soldiers brought back from Vietnam.
Everyone in the film is professional, and the Scott keeps things focused. However they fail to bring anything new to the “rise to power” storyline and this ultimately holds the film back from reaching the upper echelon of films dealing with the same subject matter.
What makes these kinds of films fun to watch is seeing the main character’s rise from nothing, and when AG begins, Frank Lucas is already second in command to Harlem gangster Bumpy Johnson. Had we seen how Frank got associated with Bumpy when Frank was much younger, and how Frank used Bumpy’s words of wisdom when he came to power, we would have had a greater appreciation of Frank being on top of Harlem’s drug operation. But instead it’s like watching the Red Sox or Yankees go back to the World Series. They’re already the favorites to win, so it’s no fun to watch them do what they were supposed to do.
If American Gangster gets nominated for any awards, I imagine it will be for Ridley Scott’s direction. I don’t think any of the films performances are dynamic or showy enough to get them much attention.
Overall, AG is an entertaining film with professionalism abound, but it’s nothing we haven’t seen before.
**½ (out of ****)