(As you'd by now noticed, I've been watching a lot of movies)
Goodness, you think. A gangster movie so soon after The Departed? Yes, but so what? This is based on a true story, and as far as true stories go this is one of the more interesting, if it is anything like it was depicted in this movie.
Yes, lots of high profile names here. Ridley Scott directs Denzel and Russell, both of them in their element (although I would say that I prefer Crowe's performance in 3:10 to Yuma). Steven Zaillian writes the screenplay, and he sure is good at this (he wrote for Schindler's List and Gangs of New York as well).
While on one hand this movie retreads old stuff, the usual kind you see in genre(ish) movies like these, nevertheless it is original in its storytelling, and most certainly is compelling to the end.
Being the gangster movie that it is, Scott pulls no punches in its depiction of events. Some might say that this movie suggests that Frank Lucas (played by Denzel Washington), the drug lord, actually had accomplished something. Like being a black man that symbolized progress. No wonder Jay-Z is all so inspired to rap about him. Scary.
This movie was touted pre-release as Oscar material. And so it is, on any other day. While this is in one sense a by the book movie, nevertheless it still gets it right most of the time, to its credit. Nevertheless, as a reviewer remarked, it has left very little after taste. Perhaps because it's, in the end, nothing new.
Yes, lots of high profile names here. Ridley Scott directs Denzel and Russell, both of them in their element (although I would say that I prefer Crowe's performance in 3:10 to Yuma). Steven Zaillian writes the screenplay, and he sure is good at this (he wrote for Schindler's List and Gangs of New York as well).
While on one hand this movie retreads old stuff, the usual kind you see in genre(ish) movies like these, nevertheless it is original in its storytelling, and most certainly is compelling to the end.
Being the gangster movie that it is, Scott pulls no punches in its depiction of events. Some might say that this movie suggests that Frank Lucas (played by Denzel Washington), the drug lord, actually had accomplished something. Like being a black man that symbolized progress. No wonder Jay-Z is all so inspired to rap about him. Scary.
This movie was touted pre-release as Oscar material. And so it is, on any other day. While this is in one sense a by the book movie, nevertheless it still gets it right most of the time, to its credit. Nevertheless, as a reviewer remarked, it has left very little after taste. Perhaps because it's, in the end, nothing new.
No comments:
Post a Comment