American Dissapointment (American Gangster (DVD))

Member Name: spencer_hawken

Product:	American Gangster (DVD)
Date:	31/12/07 (61 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Interesting portrayal of one of Americas most succesful gangsters

Disadvantages: Overlong, and distracting sidestories

As is so often the case, you look forward to something and it disappoints. This applies very much to me and the movie American Gangster a movie I anticipated about a year ago. Online reviews were really positive and coming from trusted sources my hopes were increased to a new level. But sadly Boxing Day 2007 bought me a little sadness.

When black gang boss Bumps (or Bumpy as he is known with affection) dies, a situation that has long remained calm occurs. Lots of one time workers for Bumps all start vying for power in Manhattan. The one person nobody expected any trouble from was Bumps most trusted friend Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington), but having been generally written off and disrespected by all the other upcoming gangsters Frank feels the need to make his mark. Crashing into the drugs scene like a bull in a china shop Frank uses contacts in Vietnam to bring new and stronger drug products to Manhattans streets. Having swamped the market with his product Frank makes a very public daytime message to anyone who dares to cross him.

Detective Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) is a hard working and honest cop, who's weakness is the ladies. Desperately trying to push on through life Richie struggles to get qualifications to not just enforce the law, but practise it to with the movie from cop to district attorney. Sadly a variety of things hold him back, his drug addict partner, corrupt colleagues, and personal issues with his estranged wife who wants to move his child to Las Vegas. In his quest for clean streets, and a desire to succeed Richie branches out and looks at targeting the key figures in New Yorks drug scene, namely Frank Lucas.

Based on the true story of Frank Lucas, the most renown gangster of afro American origin and certainly most profitable in American history; American Gangster starts on an impressive level. Sadly however I found its story needlessly elongated and often littered with irrelevant side issues (a bit like one of my reviews I hear you cry!). American Gangster is just too long, for the story and script line that goes along with it. Don't get me wrong I love long movies, especially long gangster movies my favourite gangster movie being the massive Once Upon A Time In America, a movie that like American Gangster charts a story surrounding gangsters over a long period of time.

When you hear Russell Crowe speak in interviews, and in the special features that come with the DVD (when it is released March 2008) he seems under the impression that the film was made round him, and the employment of the director and script writers all were issues decided by him. This is either a drastic and somewhat big headed view of things, or possibly 100% true and possibly for me the reason why American Gangster fails as many battles as it wins.

American Gangster has some real positive traits, so I don't want to seem overly harsh. The rise to power is well charted, as is the change in Frank's manner; and the way he treats friends and family members. In fact every aspect from Frank's perspective is a real winner, and Denzel Washington an actor who until recently (with exception for the movie Glory) failed to figure on my radar as a talented actor (despite the views of other proper movie critics); is without a doubt the right person for the job here. His stance is resolute, he is incredibly convincing, and at times frighteningly menacing; I would really love to see Washington doing more roles like this.

Where I feel the failings of the movie lie are in the Crowe camp, I'm not criticising his acting; which rather like Washington's is solid as a rock. It's the development of his character that does not ring true to me, or maybe even to true. Personally I never cared to know about Richie's background, and I feel that there is too much focus on this. I fully understand that director Ridley Scott and the scriptwriters wanted to provide a well balanced perspective from both angles of this spectrum, but the storyline that accompanies Richie's character is not as involving or in my view remotely interesting. There are of course good moments, and highly important scenes my favourite being where Richie saves his partner from a mob in the projects.

I must draw attention to Lymari Nadal who plays Washingtons wife in the movie Eva. This is the best "gangsters moll" type performance I have seen since Penelope Cruz's in Blow. While being more rational than Cruz, and certainly kinder and more understanding; has a beauty and a quality of acting that allows her to stand above a secondary character role. I'm not sure on Nadal's acting ability as I have not seen any other performances from her short acting career and unable to judge beyond the confines of this movie, but I look forward to seeing her future work. And a brief nod to legendary actress Ruby Dee as Mama Lucas who displays both sweetness and a ferocity that actually rules the last portion of the movie, showing that the only person that Frank Lucas feared was his mother.

American Gangster if shaved of about 20 minutes would be a phenomenal movie, but I feel pointless sidelines will make the movie fail in a lot of people's eyes. I found myself distracted by the often blankness of story from Crowes perspective, and expect anyone with a limited attention span might not make it the whole way through the movie.

I find myself in unfamiliar territory with American Gangster because with the exception of Kingdom Of Heaven I have always been blown away by Ridley Scotts work. On the other hand I have ben less impressed with his brother Tony Scotts work, and to some degree American Gangster has all the feelings and traits of a Tony Scott film. I even found myself scouring the credits for mention of some involvement from Tony, but to no avail. That being said, this is not a bad movie, it just fails to meet up to my expectations and I personally feel that Ridley has failed me.

I was fortunate enough (as I often am) to get a pre-release DVD for American Gangster, and at this stage (the DVD being from a region 1 (USA) source) I'm underwhelmed by the special features, these are often however more often than not more feature laden when the movie reaches UK shores due to loosening of royalties to stars for special features. However features that are confirmed include an interview with Russell Crowe (which featured on my preview DVD) in which as I stated earlier Crowe discusses his major input in the project, ad how other things fell by the wayside allowing him to pursue the work. Another feature is a brief interview with Denzel Washington in which in a sort of tongue in cheek manner he discusses his love for the many outfits he wears during the movie, explaining how he loves the 60's and 70's bad fashions, and "camping it up". Also on the disc is the trailer for the movie, which despite my disappointment over the movie, fails to offer the movie the justice it deserves.

American Gangster is still in selected UK cinemas, and due to arrive on DVD the end of March 2008.

Summary: The rise of a gangster during the 60's and 70's