American Ganster

If you have not seen this movie yet, please see it. If you lived in the 1970's, and remember it, you must seen this movie for a great flashback. If you saw this movie in the theater, you should rent it and watch the extended version on DVD. If you did not live in the 1970's you should see this movie to see what all the fuss was about.

Director Sir Ridley Scott add this masterful tale to his long list of creations and historical recreations (Blade Runner, Gladiator, and Black Hawk Down). He has a true gift to teaching a little bit of history while telling a good story. In fact, you will find none of his films on Yahoo's list of least historically correct movies.

Denzel Washington is perhaps the best of his generation. He can do it all, and make it look easy. The cool/smart character he played in "Inside Man" was on one side of the law, and the role he plays here is the same, but on the other side of the law. Denzel can play good guys, bad guys, smart guys, dumb guys, guys we love and guys we love to hate. THAT makes him a good actor. He has 2 Oscars to show for it, and nominations in 3 different decades. How many other working actors can claim that?

Russell Crowe recreates his LA Confidential role here, and there are no complaints from me. I have no problems with Australians playing American characters. For the record, I do have a problem with it going the other way around however. Crowe does a fantastic job here playing the "Boy Scout" cop, needle in the haystack of the 1970's NYPD.

The movie really is about these two totally different characters who's lives become entwined over the course of the journey. If it were not based on a true story, I would say a sequel were in order. I pride myself on being able to guess the ending of a good movie, and this one surprised me. If you can predict how it ends, and you didn't live it, see it already, or read the book, you should seriously consider writing screenplays.

Watch this movie with someone who remembers the 70's; right on?