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Martian · 11-05-2007, 08:26 PM

You've summed up a lot of my feelings on this one. The first half of the movie had no coherence to it; I found myself feeling more than a little lost at points.

For the record, the federal agent with the Wu Tang tat is RZA, from Wu Tang. Still, how hard would it have been for him to wear a t-shirt?

I also agree in regards to the atmosphere. They did, at least, get the cars right; and having never been to New York myself, I'm not inclined to notice if a bridge or building is out of place. Nonetheless, it didn't feel like Jersey in the early seventies. It didn't, for that matter, really feel like any specific place or time. I half expected Roberts (Russell Crowe's character) to hop on Google while investigating the drug connections. The whole film felt like it took place in a void.

I don't think Denzel Washington is to blame; in fact, I think he played his role quite well. The failures of American Gangster all belong to Ridley Scott. That's not to say it's a bad movie; it'd be the sort of thing I'd watch if it came on television, but I do sort of regret having gone to the theatre for it.

Also, I can overlook the violence but there seemed to be a lot of gratuitous nudity as well. It's almost as if Scott was trying to make up for the film's shortcomings by putting tits or gunshots in nearly every shot. I get why the women who were cutting and packaging the heroin were naked, but aside from that most of the nudity was unnecessary.

11-05-2007, 08:26 PM	#2 (permalink)
Martian Young Crumudgeon Location: Canada	You've summed up a lot of my feelings on this one. The first half of the movie had no coherence to it; I found myself feeling more than a little lost at points. For the record, the federal agent with the Wu Tang tat is RZA, from Wu Tang. Still, how hard would it have been for him to wear a t-shirt? I also agree in regards to the atmosphere. They did, at least, get the cars right; and having never been to New York myself, I'm not inclined to notice if a bridge or building is out of place. Nonetheless, it didn't feel like Jersey in the early seventies. It didn't, for that matter, really feel like any specific place or time. I half expected Roberts (Russell Crowe's character) to hop on Google while investigating the drug connections. The whole film felt like it took place in a void. I don't think Denzel Washington is to blame; in fact, I think he played his role quite well. The failures of American Gangster all belong to Ridley Scott. That's not to say it's a bad movie; it'd be the sort of thing I'd watch if it came on television, but I do sort of regret having gone to the theatre for it. Also, I can overlook the violence but there seemed to be a lot of gratuitous nudity as well. It's almost as if Scott was trying to make up for the film's shortcomings by putting tits or gunshots in nearly every shot. I get why the women who were cutting and packaging the heroin were naked, but aside from that most of the nudity was unnecessary. __________________ I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said - Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame