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American Gangster
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Gangster Info: |
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Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Brian Grazer and Ridley
Scott team to tell the true juggernaut success story of
a cult hero from the streets of 1970s Harlem in American
Gangster.
Nobody used to notice Frank Lucas (Oscar® winner
Washington), the quiet driver to one of the inner city’s
leading black crime bosses. But when his boss suddenly
dies, Frank exploits the opening in the power structure
to build his own empire and create his own version of
the American Dream. Through ingenuity and a strict business
ethic, he comes to rule the inner-city drug trade, flooding
the streets with a purer product at a better price. Lucas
outplays all of the leading crime syndicates and becomes
not only one of the city’s mainline corrupters, but part
of its circle of legit civic superstars.
Richie Roberts (Oscar® winner Crowe) is an outcast
cop close enough to the streets to feel a shift of control
in the drug underworld. Roberts believes someone is climbing
the rungs above the known Mafia families and starts to
suspect that a black power player has come from nowhere
to dominate the scene. Both Lucas and Roberts share a
rigorous ethical code that sets them apart from their
own colleagues, making them lone figures on opposite sides
of the law. The destinies of these two men will become
intertwined as they approach a confrontation where only
one of them can come out on top.
Washington (Training Day) and Crowe (Gladiator) lead
a spectacular cast of accomplished and rising stars—including
Chiwetel Ejiofor, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Josh Brolin, Ted
Levine, Armand Assante, John Ortiz, John Hawkes, RZA,
Common and T.I.—in this blistering tale of a true American
entrepreneur directed by Oscar® nominee Ridley Scott
(Gladiator) and produced by Academy Award® winner
Brian Grazer (A Beautiful Mind) and Scott from a screenplay
by Academy Award® winner Steven Zaillian (Schindler’s
List)
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| DVD
Special Features: |
CONTENT
BREAKDOWN / BONUS FEATURES:
2-Disc Unrated Extended Edition
Disc 1
" Unrated Extended Version - 18 additional minutes
of never-before-seen footage and an alternate ending
" Original Theatrical Version Including Commentary
with Director Ridley Scott and Writer Steven Zaillian
Disc 2
Deleted Scenes- Including an alternate opening
Fallen Empire: Making American Gangster
- Tru Blu: The Real Story: An in-depth look at the true
story that inspired the movie and the long road to developing
the film. Featuring interviews with the former real-life
Harlem crime boss Frank Lucas and now retired detective
Richie Roberts
- Killer Threads: A look at how the world of the 1970's
was brought back to life
- Crime War: Follow production from the streets of NY
to the jungles of Thailand
- Rhythm of the Streets: Look into the film's music, featuring
tracks such as "Do You Feel Me" performed by
Anthony Hamilton
- Into the Arena: Ali vs. Frazier: Setting up the infamous
Ali-Frazier fight
Case Files
- Setting Up the Takedown- Be on the set as Ridley Scott
directs the climactic drug bust and watch this master
director at work
- Script Meeting: A look into the production office where
director Ridley Scott, writer Steven Zaillian, and detective
Richie Roberts discuss the script and break down of the
scenes.
- Drug Test: Ridley Scott receives information on the
preparation of heroin from a New York detective
3-Disc Collector's Edition
Includes Above Bonus Features PLUS
" Hip Hop Infusion- Featuring popular rap artists
Common and Tip "T.I." Harris discussing their
roles
" Music Videos
- Do You Feel Me (Remix) Performed by Anthony Hamilton
featuring Ghostface Killah
- Blue Magic From Jay-Z's album "American Gangster"
" BET Special- The Making of American Gangster
" Dateline NBC: American Gangster First Look
" Digital Copy of the Unrated Extended Movie For
Your PC
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Denzel Washington
Russell Crowe
Common
T.I.
RZA
Cuba Gooding, Jr.
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Trailer:
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Please visit the American Gangster Official
Site
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American Gangster: Drama. Directed by Ridley Scott. With
Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Josh Brolin, Chiwetel
Ejiofor, Ruby Dee. (R. 157 minutes)
American Gangster is an intense mob epic based on a true
story, loaded with A-list actors on one side of the camera
and a trio of brilliant minds on the other. Three-time Oscar
nominated director Ridley Scott (Gladiator), Oscar winning
producer Brian Grazer (A Beautiful Mind) and Oscar winning
writer Steven Zaillian (Schindler's List) are at the helm
of this powerful film led by two of the most recognizable
names in the business.
American Gangster is written in a way that makes you feel
as if you're watching two different movies. Denzel Washington
(Training Day) plays Frank Lucas, the 1970s heroin kingpin
of Harlem. As a driver and apprentice to mobster "Bumpy"
Johnson, Frank takes advantage of every piece of advice
"Bumpy" gives him most importantly his lecture
of discount appliance stores and fast food chains and how
they cut out the middleman. After his mentor suddenly dies,
Lucas becomes a true entrepreneur and begins to build his
own empire in his own version of the "American Dream."
Lucas organizes what you could call a heroin "pipeline"
between Vietnam and America, getting a free military escort
for his product on planes returning from Vietnam. The rest
of Frank's story in AG shows how he came to rule the inner-city
drug trade by producing a more pure product, at a better
price, while still looking out for his family and even giving
them their own jobs.
The other story in AG is of Richie Roberts, played by Russell
Crowe (Gladiator). Roberts is an outcast, honest cop, the
last one at that, who heads up the newly formed DEA. Roberts
believes someone is "climbing" above the known
mafia families of Harlem, and it's not until a fur coat
comes along, that Frank Lucas' heroin business is uncovered
by Roberts and his agents.
It's not until the last fourth of the movie that Lucas
and Roberts actually meet. Until then, the movie was switching
off telling both their stories. Their destinies finally
intertwine during an amazing scene involving the song "Amazing
Grace," (don't be surprised if it gives you goose bumps.)
The last part of the movie turns into a court room drama
in which Lucas tries to take down all the dirty cops, including
Josh Brolin's character Detective Trupo, whose operation
turned its back during Lucas' drug operations.
Washington's performance is somewhat reminiscent of his
Training Day character, Alonzo and you get the feel of his
brutal, street character from the disturbing first scene.
Even though Lucas is a criminal, you love Denzel so much
that you still want him to come out on top. Crowe rides
shotgun to Washington's performance but still a stellar
performance nonetheless. Both actors easily could have been
considered for acting nominations. Overall, the movie sucks
you right into the city of Harlem with its gripping plot
but could have been trimmed in running time. The two-and-a-half
plus running time somewhat drags in the middle but you still
leave with a satisfied feeling. Ridley Scott does a superb
job telling the story of Frank Lucas and the man chasing
him, without delving too much into the historical aspect.
Grade: B
Reviewed By: Trevor
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