Saturday, November 17, 2007

American Gangster


Finally, the movie i've been waiting to see since I saw the poster for it at Loews almost 2 years ago, is out. i had been anticipating the movie and building it up in my head for a long time, but it did not dissapoint. Denzel Washington played Frank Lucas, a drug lord and, of course, gangster in Harlem. Like most outstanding crime epics, American Gangster was based on a true story (Goodfellas, Casino, Donnie Brasco, etc.). The movie contained elements of other great movies, but still managed to maintain individuality and a non-cleshe storyline. Frank remined me of Scarface because of the way he started from the bottom and made his way to the top in the world of illegal drugs. Frank Lucas smuggled in the purest heroin that he sold at cheaper prices. Although composed at most times, he was a ticking bomb. He bashed someone's head in on a piano for acting inappropriatly at a party. However, he was ironically a very good family man. Russell Crowe was Denzel's doppleganger. He played the only cop on the force who was "straight" and didn't take bribes or do drugs- reminded me of Serpico (I guess the one thing Denzel and Russel Crowe have in common in this movie is elements of Al Pacino)- but he was a terrible family man.
My Favorite Scene: Its the beginning of the movie. Frank's boss just died, and since there is no oficial way of determinig power in the black mafia after something like this, people are trying to assert their power. Frank Lucas is in a diner, eating breakfast, when he sees a rival who is trying to get Frank to pay him and work under him. Frank excuses himself, goes outside, and shoots the man execution style right in the head. He walks back in the diner and finishes his meal.

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