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I am gangster imdb3/5/2023 In fact, Scarface has got nothing on Frank Lucas when it comes to moral complexity: here's a man who did rise up out of poverty, learned the stakes of gang life as a driver for the Harlem boss for fifteen years, and then after he died cut out the middle-man as an importer of the freshest product of heroin right out of Vietnam. Even more than the Departed, one sees as the film goes on an environment of paradox: Frank Lucas was a low-life, a killer, a ruthless thug, and at the same time found time to take his mother to church every Sunday and gave out turkeys to folks in the neighborhood while providing them enough dope to die off in the process. Here Scott and screenwriter Steve Zaillian, without calling attention to it ala Paul Haggis, have made a film about class issues underneath the typical gangster-movie form. 8.5 outta 10Īmerican Gangster seems on the surface to be what has been dubbed by some critics as "the black Scarface." As Ridley Scott's new film details, this isn't really the case aside from the point of 'rose up from nothing became something through crime', which could be said about almost every gangster film including the Godfather. And also, Frank Lucas is one hell of an interesting personality. But don't let that sway you if you enjoy good movies and or crime films. Though since there are so many other drug/crime cop films out there it seems a little been there done that. It had amazing acting mixed with scenes that shed a new light on drug-trafficking.or should I say Old light. American Gangster was a really good flick. I didn't need a side-story of him doing tons of drugs and banging prostitutes.but ya know he was doing it. And also let me say Josh Brolin as the crooked cop was great. Russell Crowe's good enough an actor to portray a struggling cop without a family problem. They were well-acted and all that, but mostly, it was just character development that isn't needed. Though, his character's story was interesting in that he was in charge of the case to figure out who the big boy druglords were, his side story with his wife was for me the "dull" parts of the film. He was great in this flick, the accent, the mannerisms, all of it. Oscar" Crowe playing the other lead, and like always, he always has the character down. Denzel is one actor you really never have to worry about it in the acting department. There are scenes when you know he's gonna say it, and he still pulls it off incredibly well. Well, in the American Gangster you got him saying this line again, and by God does he have it down. Denzel Washington won the Oscar when he portrayed the crooked cop in Training Day who said "My Man" all the time. Well, scratch that, naked women workin in a drug lab was an eye-opening scene. Sure there are other good scenes, done well, but nothing worth mentioning. But for me this area of the film was the only stand out part. Nope, he was a force in Harlem back in the late 60s and early 70s and barely anyone knows about it. A black man who was more influential than his Mafian brethren? Tell me you're kidding. But speaking of story, I never knew anything about Frank Lucas, and his story is fantastic. Though it's in the leagues as being entertaining as the above mentioned movies, it really just never felt like I was watching a "new" story. I was reminded of other drug-related/crime movies, like BLOW, CITY OF GOD, and evening TRAINING DAY."My Man". Unfortunately the story never seemed "new" to me. It was directed well, barely any dull scenes, great acting by an enormous cast and was really well-written. Though Im not gonna be saying it's the best film of the year or anything like that. Ridley Scott's new flick American Gangster was a good one.
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