::A Geek in Korea::

Last night we went to see American Gangster. I hadn’t been following it, but it was recommended by a few reviewers I like to follow. I’m not big into the “gangster” genre most times, but this was a very enjoyable movie.

I thought it was really interesting and very well made. I liked the stories working in parallel, as well as the way the details of the world around them were so well done. Touches like the Vietnam updates on television working as a sort of time line for the rise and fall of the characters worked really well.

The drug use always makes me queasy. Watching people do heroin just really grosses me out. There were a lot of scenes in this movie that grossed me out with needles popping in veins and people in a drug haze that really was terrible to watch.

The very first scene was extremely graphic violence and shocking. So, “It’s going to be this kind of movie?” I thought as someone was burned alive, then shot. This was to let you know the gangster character was a cold blooded killer from the start and to stop you from feeling too much empathy for him.

Still, for being a bad guy that ruined thousands of lives, you still care about the gangster character. I have to credit Denzel Washington’s amazing performance for that. Even if he was a “bad guy with a heart of gold”, he was still ruthless. He might have taken care of his family, but he used them in his schemes and profited from it too.

I’ve seen three of the last four Denzel Washington movies released in Korea, and I walk out of the theater every single time blown away. I never got to a movie with the intention of seeing one particular actor, but it might sway me to choose one movie over another. He’s probably my favorite actor at the moment because he hasn’t delivered a bad performance.

Russel Crowe’s character was also interesting. He was a cop beyond bribery and trying to do the right thing professionally, but a terrible father. The scene in the courtroom when he is fighting for his child from a bitter ex-wife that puts him in his place was very good. Seeing him rise to the occasion because of the epidemic of drug crime was great. The film made an interesting point about the police force, penitentiary, and law systems being dependent on criminals to perpetuate their work. Sometimes the police just want a cut of the action because it’s in their best interest to let things keep going so they can keep their jobs. I had never seen that sort of idea put forth in a movie before, and would love to see that explored in another film. Any recommendations?

I’d say American Gangster is a solid film worth checking out if you have the time. It is a long film, but it doesn’t feel that way because it is so well made.

Tags: americangangster, Russel Crowe, Denzel Washington, movie, awesome