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[jtardiou]

chicago is garbage, no argument there D:

 

[BlueTsunami]

Is this the movie the blackman replaces Scarface with? I'm getting that vibe and shit

 

[topsyturvy]

american gangster,atonement, and into the wild is making this oscar season tough.

 

[topsyturvy]

chicago is garbage, no argument there D:

that movie was the best of 03 to be fair IMO.

 

[EviLore]

wow please stop posting



wow u have no idea what ur talking abotu :X

Crash and A Beautiful Mind both suck. Million Dollar Baby, too. For the 2000s, out of the winners I'd take Gladiator and The Departed as the standouts.

 

[Snowden]

I thought Gladiator and A Beautiful Mind were both great movies. And both were definitely better than Chicago, Million Dollar Baby and Crash.

100% agreement.

 

[acklame]

movie was excellent, very enjoyable.

 

[esbern]

Crash and A Beautiful Mind both suck. Million Dollar Baby, too. For the 2000s, out of the winners I'd take Gladiator and The Departed as the standouts.

I agree pretty much, though a beautiful mind isn't too bad.

Crash was fucking terrible.

 

[Kreed]

Is this the movie the blackman replaces Scarface with? I'm getting that vibe and shit

Doubt it since Frank Lucas

Spoiler

snitches/works with police to get less jail time.

Which I found ironic with T.I. being in the movie and his arrest thanks to his bodyguard. Did he even watch the movie he was in?

 

[SpeedingUptoStop]

I'm glad we all agree Crash is an over-pandering pile of shit.

 

[Fuzzery]

Just watched it, excellent

 

[D3MO]

AG was a flop imo...it just wasn't what I was expecting...it felt like a drag through most of the movie

 

[Slurpy]

Just watched this movie last night.
Fucking awesome.

 

[Hitman]

It's better than both imho.

YOUR OPPINION SUCKS MAN.

 

[Slurpy]

SPOILERS!

It's a series of tableaux with little connective tissue holding it all together. The movie provides an image of an elderly black woman clapping her hands in excitement as her powerful, self-made son points out the mansion he's giving her; an iconic moment fraught with symbolism. Much later the film doles out the image of that same woman striking that same son with those same hands, a quick slap across the face: another powerful moment. Yet... there's practically nothing connecting the woman's progress between during the 100 minutes between those scenes. She appears for quick bursts of symbolism, as if under a strobe light, and vanishes into background in an instant.

Frank's wife fares even worse. We don't see a single moment of intimacy between her and her charming, sociopathic husband. Is she merely dressing, a fancy and expensive pet? The movie hints this isn't the truth, since Frank's direst mistake involves indulging her by wearing an uncharacteristically flashy hat and coat... and drawing unwanted attention in turn. She also changes position without being caught on film actually moving: from distracted beauty queen to girlfriend meeting her beaux's mother to bride to scared and estranged wife... no scene displaying her transforming from one state to the next is shown to us, except a few wordless, weepy seconds watching a burning fur coat.

Frank's brothers? Hicks from down south one scene, then incredulous witnesses of a mid-day murder in Harlem, then disciplined mobsters with each their own front businesses on New York's angry streets: it's inexplicable and unexplained, and the viewer finds it difficult to believe these are intended to be the same men rather than actors playing multiple roles.

Crowe's character Richie likewise lives life under a strobe. He argues with his wife for custody of his son in one short scene, then later he fights for custody in front of a judge, then again later he drops the custody fight in a moment of self-flagellation and walks out of court. That's it, three short scenes for the wife-and-son angle, and she barely has enough time to spit out her bitter boilerplate lines of woman scorned and suspected adultery. She gives the impression of an angry ex shouting at a passing train. Between the spat and the court battle Richie collects a posse of incorruptible cops to man his drug-sting operation in the style of Untouchables... but imagine the first hour of Untouchables compressed down to two ninety-second scenes and you'll have an understanding of how uninterested Scott is in these stooges. They exist only to have someone Crowe can explain the plot to without appearing to talk to himself.

And so the movie jerks along, from driver to drug kingpin, from officer to district attorney, from crooked cop watching his car blow up to crooked cop blowing his own brains out: Many interesting people in interesting situations, enough to fill a season or two of a good mob drama, but chopped up and sewn together like a beautifully shot and scored slide show.

I like your exposition, very well worded. And while I really enjoyed the movie, if I wanted to critically dissect it, Id agree with pretty much everything you've said.

 

[Timbuktu]

I was looking forward to this. I still am, but from what you guys are saying, it sounds like the film needed more focus, or it would have made a brilliant mini-series. In other words, the film is at once too long and too short in the same way The Good Shepherd was, is that right?

 

[mashoutposse]

Eh, just watch it. It's a great movie; a personal instant classic.

 

[Eggo]

the film is at once too long and too short

I agree with this. A goodflick worth watching, but it's not an instant classic. Does anyone know what song was playing at the end as the credits came up?

 

[C4Lukins]

Super disappointing. The early reviewers described it as the new Scarface. Not at all. First off it is not violent at all. It does not have that ridiculous goofiness of Scarface, nor any of the fun or the funny. It is much closer to Serpico, but not nearly as good. Imagine Serpico, without any development of Serpico, and he is tracking down the dullest villain in the universe, lets say those goblins that infect your toilet while you are asleep.....

I love Ridley Scott. I enjoy the Crowe and the Washington when they are in their element. This is not a great movie. It is barely enjoyable. It is good enough to watch, but you are pissed that so much talent was wasted on such a shit......

 

[Timedog]

Just saw it. Not enough character development.

Crash and Million Dollar Baby are good movies. Fuck your couch.

 

[psycho_snake]

I cant wait to see this. It looks fucking great.

I thought Gladiator and A Beautiful Mind were both great movies. And both were definitely better than Chicago, Million Dollar Baby and Crash.

What? I agree that gladiator and a beautiful mind are great, but they're not better than Million Dollar baby. Out of all the films you mentioned, Million dollar baby is the best along with Gladiator.

 

[tmdorsey]

I agree with this. A goodflick worth watching, but it's not an instant classic. Does anyone know what song was playing at the end as the credits came up?

Public Enemy's Can't Truss It.


Enjoyed the movie alot myself.

 

[Tobor]

This movie is the definition of average. A gangster you never care about, a cop you never care about, and ultimately, a movie you never care about. Boring, slow, and mediocre.

Every time the characters mentioned The French Connection, I realized I would much rather watch that again instead.

 

[Jacobi]

This movie is the definition of average. A gangster you never care about, a cop you never care about, and ultimately, a movie you never care about. Boring, slow, and mediocre.

Every time the characters mentioned The French Connection, I realized I would much rather watch that again instead.

Hmm. I wouldn't go that far. But certainly, it lacked fresh ideas and... It was just a pretty usual historic gangster-movie, with all the stuff you already know about (useless wife, etc.).
IMHO Russel Crowe always plays himself... It's like the Russel Crowe Adventures.
I also WTFed at the 16:9-ratio. I'd still rate it above mediocre, I'd give it a 6...

edit: Oh, the Spinx' analysis absolutely nailed it

Just got back from a sneak preview. This movie kicked all sorts of ass. It was the right mix of drama, character and even a bit of dark humor. Russell Crowe worked perfectly as the good cop and Denzel was perfect as a gangster with a dream.

A dream?

 

[AlteredBeast]

meh. The movie was too long and too short as other people said. It seemed to drag on forever in some parts (and as a whole) while cutting the importance of other parts almost entirely down.

The story itself was amazing, though. Just poorly directed...

 

[zoku88]

Crash and A Beautiful Mind both suck. Million Dollar Baby, too. For the 2000s, out of the winners I'd take Gladiator and The Departed as the standouts.

Never seen Gladiator, but saw The Departed. Man, I hated that. Watch Infernal Affairs instead. A much better movie.

 

[Realyst]

meh. The movie was too long and too short as other people said. It seemed to drag on forever in some parts (and as a whole) while cutting the importance of other parts almost entirely down.

The story itself was amazing, though. Just poorly directed...

You must mean pooly edited. Very well directed, IMO.

Even though I really enjoyed this movie (third to Bourne Ultimatum and Ratatouille for this year, respectably), I can't help but think that this movie was butchered in the editing room. Plot points that went nowhere or had no visible evolution in characters' feelings completely littered throughout this movie.

A lot of Ridley Scott's movie seem to end up this way for their theatrical releases. Case in point: Kingdom of Heaven. The theatrical cut was definitely mediocre, but the director's cut was fantastic! Same with Blade Runner. Hopefully, the same treatment will be applied to American Gangster...hopefully.


Still, great film!

 

[Realyst]

Never seen Gladiator, but saw The Departed. Man, I hated that. Watch Infernal Affairs instead. A much better movie.

Yeah. Not that the movie was terrible in any way to me, but if you've seen Infernal Affairs before you seen The Departed, the movie's gotta seem a little lacklustre and a tiny bit plagiarized. Whatever you do, make sure you see The Departed before you see IA. Can't stress that enough.


Great movie (and deserving of the Oscar), but IA wipes the floor with it.

 

[zoku88]

Yeah. Not that the movie was terrible in any way to me, but if you've seen Infernal Affairs before you seen The Departed, the movie's gotta seem a little lacklustre and a tiny bit plagiarized. Whatever you do, make sure you see The Departed before you see IA. Can't stress that enough.


Great movie (and deserving of the Oscar), but IA wipes the floor with it.

That's prolly it. Me and some Chinese friends saw IA1 and IA2 a couple of months before seeing The Departed. When we saw it, we were like "..." through the whole movie.

 

[Timbuktu]

A lot of Ridley Scott's movie seem to end up this way for their theatrical releases. Case in point: Kingdom of Heaven. The theatrical cut was definitely mediocre, but the director's cut was fantastic! Same with Blade Runner. Hopefully, the same treatment will be applied to American Gangster...hopefully.

Still, great film!

Ridley Scott gives in too easily to studio heads and you can't help but feel a bit cheated, especially if American Gangster goes the same way and gets a superior director's cut. I know the guy basically invented the DC concept, but with Kingdom of Heaven if seemed as if he made the film with a director's cut in mind. I don't like the fact that he let the studio walk all over him with the theatrical cut because he knows he can get the cut he wants on DVD, at least that's the impression I got from the KoH commentaries. Knowing that, I might skip American Gangster and see Beowulf in IMAX this weekend.

I saw IA twice when it was released in HK and again on DVD before I saw The Departed. I couldn't stand The Departed when I saw it in cinema, but when I caught it again on TV not too long ago, I could get what Scorsese has did and appreciate the filmmaking a bit more.

 

[DyTonic]

New Jack City is still king.

 

[Redd]

Saw it last week. Denzel was good but I felt nothing for Russell Crowe....he was just there. Great movie but Imo Departed blew this out of the water. I still think Denzel Washington's best movies were Glory, and Malcom X.

 

[isamu]

Saw it a couple days ago. Movie was absolutely SUPERB! Pacing was perfect and if anything, it wasn't long enough! Departed can't hold this movie's jock even it tried....ditto with Heat.

That said, it would have been a MUCH more entertaining film had QT directed it. Also WTF @ Ice Cube's character? :lol Dude was totally out of place in this movie.

 

[LM4sure]

Saw it last week. Denzel was good but I felt nothing for Russell Crowe....he was just there. Great movie but Imo Departed blew this out of the water. I still think Denzel Washington's best movies were Glory, and Malcom X.

I agree with the first part of your post. Russell Crowe's acting ability was underused in this movie. He was just there, as you put it. The whole connectivity of the two main characters was quite weak as well. Crowe's character didn't start pursuing Denzel's character until at least half way through the movie. The first half of the movie Crowe was just screwin around while Denzel was being the badass.

 

[Solo]

Saw it a couple days ago. Movie was absolutely SUPERB! Pacing was perfect and if anything, it wasn't long enough! Departed can't hold this movie's jock even it tried....ditto with Heat.

That said, it would have been a MUCH more entertaining film had QT directed it. Also WTF @ Ice Cube's character? :lol Dude was totally out of place in this movie.

Could you be any more random if you tried?

WHERE ARE MY SEDATIVES AHHHHHHHH

 

[White Man]

I have no idea if I should see this or wait for the DC.

 

[isamu]

Could you be any more random if you tried?

WHERE ARE MY SEDATIVES AHHHHHHHH

????

I don't get your post.

 

[Armitage]

I have no idea if I should see this or wait for the DC.

I honestly can't tell if this is sarcasm so I'm going to say wait for the director's cut.

 

[Zyzyxxz]

Just saw it. Not enough character development.

Crash and Million Dollar Baby are good movies. Fuck your couch.

How is Crash a good movie?

It tries to have a good message but the thing is this kind of movie is made to make people feel like they will make a difference if they just watch the movie by changing their attitudes.

The next day they go back to their ignorant ways and the plot was so ridiculous in that the connections would have to be a million in one chance for all their stories to intersect at some point.

Also its main point brings nothing new to the table. I think it has a good message but it tries too hard to be an award winning movie which was the reason it seemed to have been made.

I dont think it deserves a tenth of the praise it receivers.

 

[Solo]

????

I don't get your post.

What do Heat, The Departed, and Quentin Tarantino have to do with a Ridley Scott movie?

 

[isamu]

What do Heat, The Departed, and Quentin Tarantino have to do with a Ridley Scott movie?

Good question

I'd still like to know what Ice Cube was doing in the film

 

[Eric P]

i just saw this last night and enjoyed it a bit more than i thought i would

the trailer was horrible and it put me off this film for so long

edit: ice cube was in this?

 

[Dead]

Apparently American Ganster is getting an Extended cut on DVD from Ridley Scott

Supposedly it's about 20 minutes longer.

The fact it's called "Extended" and not "Director's Cut" means the Theatrical is still Ridley's preferred cut, so I guess so this is just something extra he put together since he loves alternate cuts so much.

You can get both versions of the movie on the 3DVD Collectors edition, or whatever. Not sure if the regular movie is on the regular DVD as its only labeled "extended"

 

[Cheebs]

Apparently American Ganster is getting an Extended cut on DVD from Ridley Scott

Supposedly it's about 20 minutes longer.

The fact it's called "Extended" and not "Director's Cut" means the Theatrical is still Ridley's preferred cut, so I guess so this is just something extra he put together since he loves alternate cuts so much.

You can get both versions of the movie on the 3DVD Collectors edition, or whatever. Not sure if the regular movie is on the regular DVD as its only labeled "extended"

Ridley is giving a commentary for the extended cut however so he has some sort of acceptance for it.

 

[Dead]

Ridley is giving a commentary for the extended cut however so he has some sort of acceptance for it.

Well, I meant that he must have made the extended cut himself as a "little" something extra for the DVD release, but still considers the theatrical version the director's cut.

Kind of like Gladiator.

 

[Bluemercury]

When is Riddley going back to sci fi....sniff.....

 

[JB1981]

SPOILERS!

It's a series of tableaux with little connective tissue holding it all together. The movie provides an image of an elderly black woman clapping her hands in excitement as her powerful, self-made son points out the mansion he's giving her; an iconic moment fraught with symbolism. Much later the film doles out the image of that same woman striking that same son with those same hands, a quick slap across the face: another powerful moment. Yet... there's practically nothing connecting the woman's progress between during the 100 minutes between those scenes. She appears for quick bursts of symbolism, as if under a strobe light, and vanishes into background in an instant.

Frank's wife fares even worse. We don't see a single moment of intimacy between her and her charming, sociopathic husband. Is she merely dressing, a fancy and expensive pet? The movie hints this isn't the truth, since Frank's direst mistake involves indulging her by wearing an uncharacteristically flashy hat and coat... and drawing unwanted attention in turn. She also changes position without being caught on film actually moving: from distracted beauty queen to girlfriend meeting her beaux's mother to bride to scared and estranged wife... no scene displaying her transforming from one state to the next is shown to us, except a few wordless, weepy seconds watching a burning fur coat.

Frank's brothers? Hicks from down south one scene, then incredulous witnesses of a mid-day murder in Harlem, then disciplined mobsters with each their own front businesses on New York's angry streets: it's inexplicable and unexplained, and the viewer finds it difficult to believe these are intended to be the same men rather than actors playing multiple roles.

Crowe's character Richie likewise lives life under a strobe. He argues with his wife for custody of his son in one short scene, then later he fights for custody in front of a judge, then again later he drops the custody fight in a moment of self-flagellation and walks out of court. That's it, three short scenes for the wife-and-son angle, and she barely has enough time to spit out her bitter boilerplate lines of woman scorned and suspected adultery. She gives the impression of an angry ex shouting at a passing train. Between the spat and the court battle Richie collects a posse of incorruptible cops to man his drug-sting operation in the style of Untouchables... but imagine the first hour of Untouchables compressed down to two ninety-second scenes and you'll have an understanding of how uninterested Scott is in these stooges. They exist only to have someone Crowe can explain the plot to without appearing to talk to himself.

And so the movie jerks along, from driver to drug kingpin, from officer to district attorney, from crooked cop watching his car blow up to crooked cop blowing his own brains out: Many interesting people in interesting situations, enough to fill a season or two of a good mob drama, but chopped up and sewn together like a beautifully shot and scored slide show.

unbelievably spot-on dude, just watched this last night and you absolutely nailed it

 

[Barrett2]

My opinion about both Russell Crowe & Denzel Washington is they are both 1 dimensional actors. So long as they can play essentially the same role in every movie they do a good job. Luckily this movie allows them to play their respective roles, and I thought the movie was solid.

 

[Grifter]

I've only seen the extended but most of the complaints here are still valid. Anyone see both?

 

[Redd]

My opinion about both Russell Crowe & Denzel Washington is they are both 1 dimensional actors. So long as they can play essentially the same role in every movie they do a good job. Luckily this movie allows them to play their respective roles, and I thought the movie was solid.

I can somewhat agree with Denzell even though he played the hell out of his role in Glory. What I can't agree with is saying Russell Crowe is one dimensional. What about his roles in A Beautiful Mind and Cinderella Man?