Review of American Gangster (2007) by Danielw — 10 Nov 2007

Very good, but not great. Certainly not in the league of Godfather I and II or Goodfellas, as some have suggested. There is some bravura filmmaking to be sure, and the quiet menace in Washington's portrayal is often chilling.

The scene in which he confronts Cuba Gooding's character (could this be Gooding's return from a ten year celluloid purgatory?) is actually better than the climactic scene between the two leads.

But as always, Scott is more concerned with filling the screen than he is with convincing portrayals of characters or of social context. You're never bored, but you leave the theatre no clearer about the characters' motivations than when you went in.