American Gangster

A Vietnamese gangster, a.k.a. a bit of a different kick in the rear to the way America was headed after the WWII, when you could swim in banknotes, but with more or less dirty hands, of course. Fantastically brisk, almost in the style of Scorsese’s best, skilfully put together around the informational and motivational parallelisms between the characters, and shot with a certain text-book aloofness that lets you not only appreciate the story of the protagonist, but also the general narrative and timeless diary of an era, and the links to the social or ideological components. But at the same time, non-stop fun as every proper cop movie. Very well spent three hours. 90% (20/04/2020)

It's been a couple of months since the release in cinemas and I still can't quite grasp the genius of this opus. Right after the premiere, I got carried away by the enthusiastic applause for the result, but over time, all that remained in my head was the traditionally stunning Crowe (unlike Washington, who must always play at full capacity, Denzel has a role written in such a way that he comes out as a king in any case) and Scott's precise direction, without which the film would collapse several floors down. However, I also have a problem with him not offering me a scene that would go down in history, and if I don't have to aim so high, at least something smaller like a stylish shootout. But that is missing and paradoxically, one of Zaillian's most proclaimed scripts is to blame for that. The lack of black and white between the two main characters, which causes the absence of a villain. The evil gaze is involuntarily directed at the generalized group of "corrupt cops", and despite apparent objectivity, Scott takes us where he wants us to be, and I have to be a little disappointed because this is not how I imagined Ridley's pivotal work in his career at all. I understand the global acclaim, but despite many positives, I'm not joining in. (11/01/2008)

After being urged by a fried for several months, I finally watched American Gangster and I can’t shake the slight enthusiasm. Flawless direction, brilliant performances (and I don’t like Denzel too much) and an interesting story (at least for me, I haven’t seen many gangster movies so I can’t compare it within the genre), all combine to deliver a five-star worthy film. And even though I generally prefer films that are half as long, this one didn’t bore me for a second. (04/07/2008)

While most famous directors in this age are making films solely for their own entertainment, Ridley Scott comes up with a work of such incredible awareness and craft that it’s essentially unbelievable. Two and a half hours of the essence of scorching filmmaking that will sweep you away with its unique ode to the time period, perfectly written and superbly acted parts, and, last but not least, the naturalistic violence that a proper gangster cannot do without. Scott extracts the essentials from Scorsese, De Palma, and Mann, but remains incredibly his own, i.e., a self-assured filmmaker with a unique authorial imprint that will be indelibly etched in the viewer's mind forever. There is no point in sparing superlatives here. Believe me, they’ll get Oscars for editing, cinematography, and directing! Edit: The absence (albeit!) of nominations in these categories is the American Film Academy’s greatest crime since the beginning of the new century! Shove the Oscars up your ass! (03/11/2007)

An excellent, atmospheric gangster movie. Perfect directing from Ridley Scott, excellent acting performances from Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe is further enhanced by an excellent screenplay. And Josh Brolin made a really good impression on me; he’s appearing in better and better roles these days. (05/03/2008)