After getting the worst reviews of his career for
A Good Year (26
percent on its Tomatometer),
Ridley Scott‘s
newest opus,
American Gangster, is so far poised to do a critical 180. Early reviews
have built up a 100 percent Tomatometer for the film, which will be opening next week on Friday.
American Gangster stars
Denzel
Washington as Frank Lucas, the titular gangster who, in 1970s Harlem, dominates the inner-city drug trade. Hot
on his heels is Richie Roberts, a determined cop as portrayed by
Russell Crowe.
Both adhere unflinchingly to their personal moral codes and convictions, and American Gangster promises a bloody resolution between the two by the end reel.
Rolling Stone is the first amongst the Cream of the Crop sources to
weigh in on American Gangster. Though critic
Peter Travers calls
the movie "long (157 minutes), overstuffed (horn-dog
Richie’s court fight against his wife for child custody belongs on Lifetime),
[and] shadowed by innovators (Coppola,
Scorsese,
The Sopranos)," it’s still "one hell of an exciting movie." It’s
"already looking like a major awards contender," with a final confrontation that
delivers: "Washington and Crowe clash like titans — they’re something to see."
NY Post critic
Kyle Smith, writing out
to us from
his blog, agrees that major accolades could be in Gangster‘s future:
"Elegantly paced, visually dazzling and guided by a cynically witty take
on American capitalism, it’s the first film this year that has a serious chance
at an Oscar nomination for Best Picture."
For the most part, reviews from
normal online reviewers are curbing their enthusiasm.
Edward Douglas of
ComingSoon.net, for example, calls American Gangster "an
entertaining, masterfully-crafted crime flick even if it isn’t altogether
original or groundbreaking compared to Ridley Scott’s classic films." And in
Douglas’s opinion, the film pales slightly in comparison to recent mob epics
like The Departed,
or even We Own
the Night.
American Gangster
will open in theaters everywhere November 2nd.
