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Russell as detective Richie Roberts in American Gangster

AG my review

Warning to whom has not seen this film yet: this review may have some spoilers

I don’t think there’s a better Film than American Gangster at present.

What a masterpiece!

Be ready to feel strong emotions for about two hours and half by breathtaking performances and highest level Cinema.

Every single actor, from the main roles to the cameos are fantastic, perfectly merged with the characters they are performing as if they were really those characters directly taken from 70’ Harlem streets.

This because of a Master of direction as Sir Ridley Scott and producer Brian Grazer (Academy Awarded with Ron Howard for best film of the year ABM) and obviously because of the talent of all cast.

I am still dizzy, after a week. I have already seen it twice and tomorrow I will be seeing it again.

I know that when a Film gives me such feelings, it is going to be in my favourite top ten.

Apart from Russell, this Film itself has something absolutely morbid and attractive.

The story has been taken from real life and is the classic rise and fall of an American gangster, Frank Lucas, king of drug dealers in Harlem and NYC in late 60’ and half 70’ and the story also deals with the life Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) the detective who nailed Frank Lucas.

Ok, so far nothing new (Scarface, Godfather saga) but, as Sir Alfred Hitchcock would say, it’s not so important what the story is, but fundamental is actually how the story is told, and here we are before a brilliant way of story telling, with pure images, performances, locations, soundtrack, photography, cut, costumes, script.

A Film who can take off and gently soar sometime or storm at once in an abyss of violence and portrait characters with strong brush or imperceptible melancholy and reality.

The character around whom the whole story starts is obviously Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington), that we’re used to seeing performing good guys roles, but even as a villain he is absolutely credible and likely.

Washington/Lucas is handsome, gently and elegantly figured, he is an entrepreneur soul and manage his bigger and bigger drug traffic, with innovative sense and as an international firm.

He is a reserved and discrete guy – I love his quote when, reproaching his own brother for being dressed in a loudly way, he says: “The loudest dressed man in a room is also the weakest”

Like the deadly powder with which he invades Harlem and big a part of NYC, Frank Lucas acts into the shadows, so deeply to be unknown to the police for several years (at that time drug power was belonging, alas to Italian-American Mafia)

But Frank Lucas is also a family man, he cares much for the union of the family as a great value - and as he is “set” he calls along his mother, that he loves most and all his brothers with their families to work together and live in a magnificent villa he bought.

And when he falls in love with the girl (Miss Puerto Rico) that will be his wife, he gently takes her to meet his mother.

Frank Lucas is a serious man and loves his family most and does everything to protect it – splendid scene (famous in trailers too) where , after being attempted to his and his wife lives he outburst by saying: “They tried to kill my wife”

Done on purpose an perfectly successful the opposition with the character of Richie Roberts, performed by Russell, that practically doesn’t have a real family (at the time of the story he is about to divorce and the fosterage of his son will be given to his wife) because of his constant cheating to his wife and son and his absence from the family - melancholic and very touching the quote of Richie’s wife Laurie, who, caressing his cheek, after the umpteenth fight in the park between the two of them, because of Richie who has not visited his son again, says: “You don't have room for us”; because, even in this fighting moment, he founds time to blink at some girls in the park and, even worse to violently intervene against some loud yubbos. Frank Lucas e Richie Roberts are both violent sometime .

The performance that Russell gives in this Film is breathtaking, involving, touching, magnetic, deep… S P E C T A C U L A R !

Richie Roberts is a Jewish detective coming from New Jersey (great accent), he is professionally incorruptible, amongst rotten cops on the payroll list by the Mafia.

Richie is shy and clumsy sometimes, he successfully studies to be an attorney and, like a hound dog, patiently and tenaciously succeeds in finding inside the tangled drug web Frank Lucas as the main drug dealer, introducing in a huge quantity Blue Magic on the market.

But he is also a big falls man, he is a oaf womanizer, a drab and sad little man like many others in matter of fidelity to wife and family.

Basically Richie is a lonely man, flesh and soul devoted to his job – great eyes expressions and vis comica in making us perceiving the big gap between he and his son and the profound inability that Richie has in communication.

In my opinion, Russell is at the climax of his performance in the divorce second hearing when he whispers to his wife: Please don’t punish me for being honest , please don’t take my son away from me for this” (since Russell consigned to the police headquarter almost 1 million dollars he and his colleague found in a car boot during a post, and because of this he attracted hard feelings by the other rotten policemen) and his wife outbursts by saying: “You honest? Do you know why you don’t take money, It’s basically because this is the excuse you use to cheat me and your son in other ways, you are as disgusting as the rotten policemen you hate”

At this precise point of the scene, Russell presents Richie with an expression that by itself is worth the whole Film… He realizes that what his wife has just said is absolutely the truth… There are some instants in his eyes…, before the next quote… that leave you unarmed…

As far as I am concerned, Russell could have also been whistling or humming a silly tune for the whole rest of the Film, because those specific expressions by themselves, at that moment are worth an Oscar nomination.

Tomorrow, I will be going to see it again and I am already looking forward for the dvd release.

Last Sunday I saw it with my family and on Monday, I went by myself after work.

This Film is a cinematographic miracle.

Thanks to all cast and crew. Congratulations!

Thanks Russell for keeping to present us with these magnificent performances!!!

Thanks Ridley!

in theatres:
U.S.A. Nov 02 2007
U.K. Nov 16 2007

Article and pics from EMPIRE Magazine
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AG Poster in Surrey (U.K.) live pics...
It was a nice Saturday morning, a bit chilly but a lovely day in Morden - Surrey, where I live.
I was going out for a walk when, suddenly at the bus stop, this marvellous view struck me...
I took out my mobile at once and here you are...
Enjoy!