In 7 words or less: Gangsters get the 70s treatment.Best bits? Any Ridley Scott film looks amazing, even the stinkers! The way 70s New York is depicted in American Gangster is truly breathtaking. Steamy manhole covers everywhere you look, gritty wet streets and pimping 'get up' all make you believe you're in 70s New York.
As you'd expect from a film that has this kind of cast the acting is top end. Every character totally believable and clearly played with vast amounts of research as the film is inspired by real events.
Did it make you think thoughts? This film has been done. Ridley has never done a gangster film before and this is him throwing is hat in the ring. It's as if it's been put through a giant gangster sausage machine and American Gangster is what comes out. Top, top quality but none the less flawed due to the saturated genre it belongs to. If this had been released in 1989 it would've probably won 6 Oscars!
Did it make you think thoughts? This film has been done. Ridley has never done a gangster film before and this is him throwing is hat in the ring. It's as if it's been put through a giant gangster sausage machine and American Gangster is what comes out. Top, top quality but none the less flawed due to the saturated genre it belongs to. If this had been released in 1989 it would've probably won 6 Oscars!
Would you watch it again? I probably would because the performances are really cool.
Rating (out of 100%): 70% Tired and formulaic but executed perfectly. Ridley still has it, just needs a better idea to come his way.
