Nov 21, 2007 05:06 AM
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With a title'American Gangster' and promos comparing Godfather and with two big names - Denzel and Russel Crowe, there is an expectation straight away. There is no wonder that the movie does not get under the skin because of this overpromise. Just as another movie, your perspective might get entirely different.
It is not the Italiano familiare that does the drug traffiking this time, but Frank Lucas a black American. He smuggles the drug from south east in its purest form, eliminates middle men and sells it cheap and full of quality. In fact he creates even a brand name for it. Richie, the honest cop is behind the drug getting smuggled into America and is clueless for a long time that it could be an American. How can 100Kgs of Opium get into America? With the help of military base! And a single man succeeds in capturing the market from Italian veterans! And there are also bad cops who seize the drugs and sell it back to the same guys they seized from! As a true story it is incredible. With 2 1/2 hours to show these on screen there is a lot to ponder for the director.
Denzel for once is not a cop but a Gangster. Russel Crowe is the honest cop. The movie runs parallely with these two gentlemen as pivots and they meet towards the end. If not for anything or anyone, you have to watch this movie for Denzel Washington. He is at this usual best and such a relief to see him in his usual self after the Deja Vu debacle. Russel Crowe is there and does well, but Denzel runs the show.
One reason to like this movie is that it is painfully free from the jump-cut edits and swinging cameras and all the'pacy' stuff you would find invariably in action movies these days. It has an easy narration and takes it realistically closer to a movie set in early 70's. We must now be tired of the Godfathers and Goodfellas, yet the recent Departed proved to be a fantastic ganster movie. So a comparison of American Gangster with Departed becomes obvious. Should say, I liked Departed more. It had more action.
But this one has Denzel. He will make you laugh . he will surprise you . he gets angry . and all that. Add Russel Crowe to that . add an incredible true story to that . and you have THE ganster movie for this year. Must watch.
Cheers!
Envyram
