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Good value100% J'accepte
Entertaining96% J'accepte
Engaging characters96% J'accepte
153 avis
3.5-Ridley Scott pays homage to every wise-guy classic
I like this movie for what it's worth. We're treated to either side of mobster film, both unlawful and law enforcement; "American Gangster" plays like an assortment of 'Scarface' (there's a ruthless low hit-man becoming a drug emperor), 'The Godfather' (a calm, respectful, business like man rules over his mafia empire), 'The French Connection' (undercover cops go pursuing cryptic criminals in America, who do business in foreign lands), 'The Untouchables' (incorruptible good cop selects hand-picked team of cops he trusts to bring down notorious gangland leader), and you know all the rest. It's an intriguing, entertaining, and entrancing crime story. "American Gangster" is a solid mob movie. It's amazing watching this film and realizing how long he went unnoticed and unsuspected by the NYPD.
Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington hand in non-surprising solid performances and Ridley Scott directs the story tastefully, although it could have used a bit more speed. You find yourself looking at your watch a couple of times. Where Scorsese and even De Palma have directed overlong gangster movies that keep you on the edge of your seat from the first minute to the last, Scott made this one as unagitated as most of his great movies ("Alien", "Blade Runner", "Gladiatior") - and apparently people like him for it, so maybe it's just me who's got a problem with that.
Personally, I didn't feel connected enough. The main characters don't ever meet each other until the very end and then it's over way too quickly. Especially, Denzel Washington's change of ambition seems a bit rushed there and the ending is more than a bit reminiscent of "GoodFellas". Pretty much the whole film doesn't really feel fresh anymore even though I took well to Washington's role. Sure he's just like he is in most of his other movies but we routed for him just like how we routed for Al Pacino in Scarface. In fact, Peter Travers calls this movie the black Scarface. I agree with him partially. The tense job an unbribable cop has to do in a corrupt environment, the schizophrenic life of a gangster who is a loving family man in one minute and brutal killer with no qualms in the next, the glamorous rise and fall of a gangster boss. It never really gets old, but the more movies like this are being made, the less surprising they'll become.Lire l'avis complet...
Not Quite 'Scarface' - But Intense !!!!
It's in Denzel Washington's eyes throughout Ridley Scott's 'American Gangster' (UNRATED), that derives a mesmerizing slice of Urban Historical Grit. Based Upon a True Story; Washington is playing Frank Lucas, a Real-Life Crime Boss who for a period lasting from the late 1960s into the following decade ran Manhattan "From 110th to 155th, River to River."
A slick character who doesn't need to strut his worth on the streets, Lucas hates flash like a junkie hates rehab; reminding him of all he truly is but doesn't want to be. Facing off against him is New Jersey Narc Detective Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe), a womanizing tough guy with a short fuse but a heart of gold. In a Big-City Police Department in the 1970s, boy scout behavior like his could just get you killed — a guy not on the take is seen as the guy who could very well "sell you down the river" when the Grand Jury comes sniffing around.
Scott has a powerhouse going here, tossing these two Hollywood Heavyweights into the ring and letting them play Cops and Robbers; while he slathers on the period detail with a trowel.
Phenominal character actors flood the scenes as well; adding to the cinematic foreplay; (Idris Elba, Jon Polito, Kevin Corrigan, an incredibly sleazy Josh Brolin, and so on). With the specter of Vietnam playing on every television in sight; the Era of 70's plays hard while we also wrap-up in the odd enjoyment one gets from watching Police in the Pre-Militarized, Pre-SWAT days take down apartments with just revolvers, the occasional shotgun, and a sledgehammer to smash down the doors.
Scott's smart enough to let the story cohere organically; without rush, keeping his main contenders apart for as long as possible; creating fully developed characters in their own right and not just developed in opposition to the other.
The film is evenly divided between the Cop's and the Robber's Stories as they come arcing toward each other; but clearly stays the tale of Frank Lucas (the movie's not called 'American Narcotics Detective'), and as one of the most notorious and fascinating Gangsters in American History, Denzel delivers.
Lucas was a country boy from the Carolinas who came up to New York and worked as driver and bodyguard for revered and feared Harlem Crime Lord Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson, one of the last of the Great Underworld Bosses. Bumpy taught Lucas everything he knew, so that when he died of a heart attack in 1968, Lucas was ready to take the reins. He almost immediately upset the Mafia, who supplied drugs to "Bumpy", by importing Heroin of unheard purity straight from Southeast Asia and selling it for cheaper than the competition, ultimately doing the criminally unthinkable by becoming the Mafia's supplier.
It's an astoundingly gutsy move, particularly given the array of Corruption and Mafia that arrayed against him, but Denzel's got Lucas' grim determination down cold, and the whole paradigm-shifting event (which included secretly importing the Heroin in the coffins of Dead American Soldiers from Vietnam), an act so perverse, it's hard to swallow.
Crowe is able to play the conflicted hard-case hero with superb élan until he's dragged off the stage. But Denzel has a cold steeliness in his expression that rarely wavers.
While 'Scarface' still holds the American Cinema captive as "Classic"; 'American Gangster' is the next closest thing to it's success; but can't quite reach 'Scarface's' overrall impact. Could anything, though?
Great Film !! SEE THIS !!Lire l'avis complet...
American Gangster (DVD, 2008)
Excellently told story of notorious 1960's and 70's New York drug kingpin Frank Lucas (Denxel Washington). Having been the closest thing to a son to famed Harlem gangster Bumpy Johnson for nearly twenty years, he took over and assumed control of the narcotics traffic in Harlem and practically all of New Jersey, New York City, Connecticut and lower New England. He took the heroin business away from the French and the Mafia, and through his sources in SE Asia, imported vast quantities of pure heroin directly from the producers in Thailand and Cambodia. He bribed police, judges, Aldermen, City Council members, and pilots and Military flight crews transporting personnel and equipment to and from the Vietnam theater. Over the years, Lucas was able to remain transparent, as the authorities were sure that the Mafia was the culprit. Task force leader Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) from New Jersey was the first to identify Lucas and eventually bring him down. Over the years, Lucas made in excess of $1.44Billion, of which at least half went to bribes and payoffs. The product that he put into the marketplace was at least 2-3 times better than anything out there, and was cheaper by far. He was an instant success. It is estimated that his product created somewhere around thirty thousand addicts and also resulted in about 2000-3000 deaths by overdose, murder, and other related violence in a five year period of time. When finally busted, Frank Lucas testified against and was influential in the prosecution of well over two hundred police officers and other legal and judicial officials. He was sentenced for his various crimes to nearly 75 years in prison, but served only about fifteen years. More than $200M in cash and property was seized from Lucas.
This movie, like so many others, tends to portray the villains like Frank Lucas, as good-looking, suave, articulate "gentlemen" who are the benefactors of the neighborhood; just poor, unfortunate, victims of an unequal society. The truth is that Frank Lucas was a murderous, ignorant, violent as hell, piece of human excrement, whom if the legal system had dowsed with gasoline and set on fire, still would have gotten off too easily.Lire l'avis complet...
Washington and Crowe--Great Combo
This film was recommended by a good many of my friends so I bought it sight unseen and I'm happy I did. Denzel Washington is one of those actors who never seems to be stretching himself, i.e. he always seems to be playing the same or similar characters but he does it in convincing ways. This is not necessarily a bad thing--the same could be said about Spencer Tracey. As the film is based on a true story, the plot is all that more compelling. Russell Crowe does a nice job of bringing his character home as well--a guy that is addicted to honesty as much as Washington's is to corruption--both of them to a fault. The study of both makes the film fascinating as it relies on both delivering their good vs. evil (and evil vs. good--neither is black nor white) characters in ways that make us see ourselves in them.Lire l'avis complet...
American Gangster
A sprawling mob epic that clearly wants to be a Harlem Scarface, Ridley Scott's gangster flick aims high and mostly measures up. Ambitious, engaging and occasionally even gripping, it never adds much to the genre — but it knows how to stroke genre tropes till they tremble.
Denzel Washington is strong and reasonably persuasive as Frank Lucas, a '70s dope king who, if the movie's version of this torn-from-magazine-headlines tale is accurate, got the bright idea of bribing servicemen to fly thousands of pounds of heroin stateside from Vietnam during combat operations, as if the U.S. military was his own personal FedEx.
An initially outmatched narcotics agent (Russell Crowe) struggles to make minor inroads, which eventually lead to a surprisingly big payoff. Director Scott crosscuts between their stories, mining them for ironic parallels — the gangster's a family man, the cop's a deadbeat dad, both men are principled in their divergent ways — and if the result isn't an instant classic, it's never less than engrossing.Lire l'avis complet...
One of the Best Movies of the Year
Based on a true story of an African American who in the late 1960s became powerful and rich, which was unheard of at that time. Denzel is brilliant as usual, but this was Russell Crowe's first great performance since "A Beautiful Mind".
Russell plays a cop with a law degree, set on capturing Denzel's character. Both actors are brilliant in there respective roles, playing each with a slightly understated yet with cunning and guile.
This film, whilst winning the Golden Globe best movie, was never nominated as Best Film in the Academy Awards. I've seen the others and with the exception of "No COuntry for Old Men", don't understand why.
Not to be missed.Lire l'avis complet...
American Gangster
I am a Fan, to begin this review, of Densel Washington and Russel Crow they approach each role in any movie they perform in with refreshing points of view.I absolutely "LOVED" this Movie. I enjoy the fact Densel does a Great Bad guy role and shows the Multi-faceted personality involved with going so wrong as a Human Being,the stretch some one has to make to rationalise the killings and selling of illegal substances to bring it down in thier own minds to doing "simple" business deals makes me wonder'' How you do that Denzel''Russel Crow plays this Bulldog of a Cop to get the Goods..again I say"How'd you do that"I am amazed by both Actors they are the True Greats of Our time and any chance to see both these Men in any future colaboration will be much awaited for.Loved this Movie Wonderful Actting..and great ensemble casts too..Watch it evolve..its the total flick for a group of friends doing a stay-in night,opens conversations..and hey shouldn't we all "think" after we see a Movie??Love it!!Complicated Characters and Twists and Turns...Lire l'avis complet...
American Gangster
An excellent example of 2 Oscar-winners flexing their muscles(literally and figuratively)in a pretty good production. Some gaffes are visible(cars from years before time period in movie, incorrect linguistics for time period), but overall movie is excellent. Some periods can drag, but that's expected in a 2-hour long movie. The kindness and sadistic personality of Lucas is evident through Denzel's performance, as well as Crowe's honest working/dishonest social-life-having officer, Richie Roberts. Interesting portrayals by Common, TI, and Joe Morton as well. All in all, a movie that I wish COULD have a sequel just to see Crowe and Washington reprise the roles again! Must-see!Lire l'avis complet...
American Gangster (2008, DVD)
I got sucked into watching this movie although I am not much of a gangster movie fan, I am a bit of a history buff though. That is what brought this movie alive for me. The story of Frank Lucas, brought to you by Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, could not have been better played. The acting was good with a less than fictional plot held my entertainment even for a gangster movie.
The only thing I can say that I really didn't like, was that the movie was kind of long. This movie appeals to a few different crowds and it filled with action. Most people would love to see this movie.Lire l'avis complet...
2 Oscar Nominations for a Reason Top Gangster movie
This was a terrific story set in the late 60s and early 70s Harlem. We all like a good "gangster" flick and American Gangster did not disappoint. The writing was excellent and Oscar winners Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe were captivating.
Washington's character, Frank Lucas, is THE gangster of his time. He puts out a superior product at a discount because he cuts out the middle men; ironically, something his mentor complained about in the early moments of the movie. Despite Lucas' evil acts and violence, the viewer becomes somewhat sympathetic to his character by the end of the movie. This is not unlike how a viewer feels kinship with Michael Corleone in the Godfather series.
Frank Lucas ascends the ranks by outwitting and outclassing his competition. His competition includes all of organized crime.
Russell Crowe's character, Richie Roberts, is hell bent on doing the right thing at any given moment. Surrounded by corrupt police, Roberts bucks the trend with so much honesty that he alienates himself. His pursuit of justice also causes him ancillary family problems. Roberts, in the movie, is equally driven to catch the criminals as he is addicted. While his colleague is addicted to heroin, Roberts is addicted to sex. The veiwer watches as Roberts attempts to do what no one has ever done before, while simultaneously facing a hurricane of personal life.
Although the movie is lengthy (2 hrs 40 min for the theatric version), the story tells itself and moves along quite nicely.
This DVD features all the extra scenes that were cut from the original. The viewer is allowed to watch either the original version or the theatric version. Either way, you'll enjoy it!Lire l'avis complet...