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Bookmark this pageAmerican Gangster (2007)
Director: Ridley Scott
Movie review
From Time Out London
As biopic movie-meat, this extraordinary true story aches with subtext: ’70s Harlem druglord, Frank Lucas built an empire via killer market force – smuggling low-cost, high-impact heroin right through the fog of the Vietnam war. It’s worth epic treatment, all 157 minutes of it. And, right from the title, Ridley Scott guns for nothing less than the twenty-first century’s first great crime saga: the American dream re-cut as a New York dope opera.
Doesn’t it show. More hyper-aware than hyper-real, Scott’s meticulous aesthetics can’t touch the urban texture and deep focus of ‘The French Connection’, ‘The Godfather’, ‘Serpico’ and ‘Prince of the City’ – all looming heavily in intertextual nods. What’s more, writer Steven Zaillian strains to splice a ‘Scarface’ rise and fall with a ‘Heat’-styled crisscross character-study, as untouchable cop Richie Roberts’ (Crowe, buttoned into a low-key role) toils to bring down Lucas (Washington) and the corrupt NYPD narcs. But for all the fractured mirroring, this is Lucas’ story – and Washington’s movie. He’s immense: centring every scene with tractor-beam charisma, that dangerous, easy charm hovering between a luxury smile or blazing violence.
Like much of his oeuvre, Scott’s scaled-up movie is bigger than life – and lesser for it. But while never digging deeply or darkly enough to match its own grand vision of itself, slick technique drives the story forward with pace and style. The finish rushes in: a brilliantly constructed police take-down, a magnetic collision between two Oscar-winning alpha males and a gift-wrapped coda which confirms that, in Hollywood, mythology always trumps morality.
Author: Jonathan Crocker
Time Out London Issue 1943: November 14-20 2007
User reviews of this film
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- tom said...
- Posted on Nov 29 2007 08:38 this was a phat film
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- Becky said...
- Posted on Nov 25 2007 15:20 I thought the film was a little slow to start off with but once it got down to the nitty gritty I was won over. Crowes role is definately debateable but cannot fault the flawless acting of Denzel! Definately worth a watch but stick it out a little while for it to kick in!!
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- cerise said...
- Posted on Nov 24 2007 17:05 ALRIGHT BUT A BIT MAD I LIKE A GOOD FILM WITH A GOOD ENDING I WONT WATCH IT A AAGAING
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- critique said...
- Posted on Nov 23 2007 12:06 Entertaining and gripping. Didn`t think it was at all "overlong" as one or two people have commented. Would recommend it highly.
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- Tom said...
- Posted on Nov 23 2007 10:32 To compare this film to The Godfather is like comparing a bag of chips to gourmet cooking. Over long, vile language and graphic violence did not make it a pleasant watch for me. Crowe was deadpan and is better in historical roles. Wesley Snipes could have carried the role of Lucas better. Denzel never convinced me. Only reason I went to see it was my wife thinks they are both handsome? No sour grapes honest.
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- Adnan Khan said...
- Posted on Nov 21 2007 22:35 Great movie based on true story. Heroin network being veiled off including the involvement of every officical especially the role of US Army.
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- Sutton said...
- Posted on Nov 19 2007 13:51 A very enjoyable movie... great story (though sad re the spread of heroin in NYC) and images of the 1960/70's. Both leads were excellent, though wasn't sure if Crowe was supposed to me American or Australian, I'm sure he said 'Mate' at least once!! Although a long film, it flies by. Worth seeing!!
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- mohsin said...
- Posted on Nov 18 2007 22:49 oh dear god this film was dull. kudos to denzel and crowe for their good acting, but even that cudnt save this flick. a slow moving film with no climax and yet still expected to earn an oscar, ridley scott should have turned a gun on himself, that would've been more entertaining.
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- Carrie said...
- Posted on Nov 18 2007 14:51 Crockers review is the literary equivalent of banging your head repeatedly off the side of a toilet basin full of last weeks waste! Get a new author; he can't sell these films to anyone!
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- Shaka said...
- Posted on Nov 18 2007 13:41 joy's review doesn't make sense!!
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- Massey said...
- Posted on Nov 17 2007 15:27 A great movie,would not mind watching it 10 times!Excellent acting from Denzel and Russell.
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- Angelica F. said...
- Posted on Nov 17 2007 12:29 I Love true based stories and i thought this film was great! it reminded me of the film 'Blow'. it was very interesting to see
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- Mick Lee of Donny said...
- Posted on Nov 16 2007 21:29 It was as good as Rocky IV
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- Luke Rose said...
- Posted on Nov 16 2007 21:27 It was as good as terminator
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- joy said...
- Posted on Nov 16 2007 14:49 A truse masterpeice crowe at his best, washington second best but fails to give a descent performance, not as good as gladiator. 4 stars
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Cast & crew
Director: Ridley Scott
Producer: Ridley Scott, Brian Grazer
Cast: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Josh Brolin, Carla Gugino, Ruby Dee, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Ted Levine, RZA, Cuba Gooding Jr, Armand Assante, John Ortiz, John Hawkes, Common full cast
Rated: 18
Duration: 157 mins
UK Release: Nov 16 2007
US Release: Nov 2 2007
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