"American Gangster" Review!!!
Good Morning!!! This morning's review is for "American Gangster," a Ridley Scott film starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe about the true-story rise of a career criminal and the NJ cop/law student who...well, I'm not giving anything away about this movie. This movie really doesn't need a review. The three names I mentioned above are more than enough for any movie watcher to go see this film. Any expectations are exceeded...
Everyone knows Denzel and Crowe, so I'm not spending any time on them, what I do want to talk about is Ridley Scott and what he does with this movie. What I noticed about this movie and what made this movie more interesting than the already interesting storyline, is all the actors in this movie. Even small roles were given to known actors. A lot of cameos.
Ridley Scott makes great movies. Pitting Denzel and Crowe against/with each other on the screen is excellent, but he has done this before. Many times before...going back, he put Harrison Ford against Rutger Hauer in "Blade Runner," "Thelma and Louise" against Harvey Kietel, Demi Moore against Viggo Mortensen in "G.I. Jane," hell, he even put up the Alien in the original "Alien" against Harry Dean Stanton. I watched "Black Hawk Down" last night and saw the same thing as I saw in "American Gangster," a lot of known actors, even in small roles. Not even counting Josh Hartnett (who does a decent job), you have Ewan Macgregor (Shallow Grave, Star Wars), Orlando Bloom (Lord of the Rings), Eric Bana (Munich), Tom Sizemore (Saving Private Ryan, Heat), William Fichtner (Armageddon, Prison Break), Ron Eldard (Sleepers), Jeremy Piven (Entourage), and Richard Tyson (as a bad-ass sniper).
In Gangster, you have, lending support, Cuba Gooding Jr. (playing Mr. Untouchable Nicky Barnes - watch the documentary), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Children of Men, Serenity), Josh Brolin (Nightwatch, Into the Blue), Ted Levine (Silence of the Lambs, Heat), John Hawkes (Miami Vice, A Perfect Storm), Ruby Dee, Armand Assante, Joe Morton (Terminator 2), and even Kevin Corrigan (Superbad, The Departed, True Romance), and so on and so forth. The point I am trying to make is that every scene in this movie is a treat with all the acting muscle. As I am watching an already great movie, I am saying to myself, "He's in it?!? She's in it?!?" which makes this movie even better. This, to me, is an ensemble film. Aside from Denzel and Crowe, I truly enjoyed John Hawkes and RZA in this movie - the two cops who team up with Crowe. RZA has a great scene during the heroin house drug bust, you'll know it when you see it. Also, Josh Brolin's character is awesome, but he is good in anything he does.
Aside from the acting in this picture, it is just a good movie. Do not wait for this movie on DVD, see it on the big screen where it was meant to be watched and enjoyed, you will not be disappointed.
TRIVIA: Name two movies with Denzel Washington and Chiwetel Ejiofor? Better yet, name two movies with Clive Owen and Chiwetel Ejiofor? There is a common denominator to these two trivia questions...
Hit me up with any questions, comments, or trivia...until next time...CHEERS!!!
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