AMERICAN GANGSTER

I was looking forward to seeing two of our greatest actors appear on screen together -- than I recalled that Denzel and Russell co-starred in Virtuosity, in 1995 -- I forgot about that, because it was a very forgettable production.
FOR THOSE WHO DON'T MIND TORTURING THEMSELVES BY RECALLING THE PLOT -- RUSSELL WAS A CYBERSPACE CRIMINAL INSIDE A COMPUTER AND DENZEL WAS A CYBERSPACE COP, TRYING TO NEUTRALIZE THE CROOK.
ABOUT 10 OR 20 PEOPLE IN AMERICA SAW THIS FILM AND AFTER UNDERGOING PROFESSIONAL CARE AND TREATMENT, MOST OF US WERE ABLE TO RETURN TO A NORMAL LIFE, WITH ONLY A FEW VISIBLE SCARS.
Things are much better in 2007.
American Gangster pushed all the right buttons and rang all the right bells as each star has his own half of the film - contrasting their life against the other, while never really meeting face to face.
THIS FILM MATCHES THE LIFE OF THE COP TO THAT OF THE CROOK, IT SHOWS THEY FACE COMMON PROBLEMS, WHICH WAS A CENTRAL ELEMENT TO THE PACINO / DeNIRO ROLES IN HEAT.
This film was two and a half hours long and I hated to see it end.
This is not a movie for timid souls, it is violent and profane, but with the purpose of demonstrating the environment and persona of the character's existence.The title is a clue. Please don't go to a film called American Gangster and express shock as the body count mounts up.
BY THE WAY, IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE LAST NAMES OF THESE TWO STARS, PLEASE STAY HOME AND CONTINUE YOUR KNITTING.
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I WAS NEGLIGENT NOT TO MENTION FOUR KEY PLAYERS, I FELT THEY HELPED MAKE THIS FILM AS GOOD AS IT WAS:
RUBY DEE -- WHAT A NATIONAL TREASURE - I THINK WE WERE CLASSMATES IN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL. SHE PLAYS HER ROLE TO PERFECTION. A ROLE THAT RECALLS HER MOTHER IN SPIKE LEE'S, JUNGLE FEVER, BUT SHE PULLS IT OFF IN GRAND STYLE.
CLARENCE WILLIAMS III - HE DOMINATED THE SCREEN IN HIS BRIEF TIME IN THE SPOTLIGHT. HE SET THE TONE FOR ALL THAT WOULD FOLLOW IN THE FILM.
CHIWETEL EJIOFOR -- THE IVY LEAGUE EDUCATED RADIO STATION MANAGER IN, TALK TO ME, PLAYS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CHARACTER IN THIS FILM AND HE IS EXCELLENT AS THE CLASSIC "FREDO" TYPE BROTHER, WHO CAN'T GET IT RIGHT, WHO CAN'T SEE THE BIG PICTURE.
RUBEN SANTIAGO HUDSON - ACTOR AND AUTHOR OF LACKAWANNA BLUES - WHO PLAYS A BODYGUARD FOR DENZEL. HE MAY ONLY SPEAK TWO LINES IN THE ENTIRE FILM, BUT HE LETS THE AUDIENCE KNOW HIS LOYALTY IS WITHOUT QUESTION, JUST BY THE WAY HE CARRIES HIMSELF.