| Overall Grade: |
D |
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| Story: |
D+ |
|
|
| Acting: |
C- |
|
|
| Direction: |
D- |
|
|
| Visuals: |
B |
|
|
AMERICAN TEASE
by Mr. Ringmaster (movies profile)
Jul 9, 2008
309
of
516 people found this review helpful
If you are a fan of such gangster classics as The "Godfather" or "Goodfellas," this film is not for you. Imagine being invited to a lavish dinner party, with a spread to make you salivate uncontrollably, only to sit down at the table to eat and the food is undercooked, unseasoned, or not even done at all. This is exactly what I felt like while watching this overly hyped, wannabe epic.
This film disappointed in so many ways I hardly know where to start. First of all, Ridley Scott should have not been the director for this project. He's not a great storyteller. If you want big budget, flashy epic that sings like an opera, he's your man. A story of this magnitude required a thorough touch. No stone should have been left unturned. The depth of the subject matter, coupled with the cast had the potential of not merely rivaling, but superseding the likes of The Godfather.
There were so many stories within the real story, this creative team completely missed. Did you know that Frank Lucas was illiterate and could not even count?! Quite a trick for a guy who amassed a wealth of over a quarter billion dollars. He used scales to determine the amount of his loot, which is how he knew how much he had. Why was Denzel's character using a calculator.
What about the relationship with his mentor, legendary crime boss, "Bumpy" Johnson? They totally neglected to give us any insight to that relationship. Johnson was one Harlem's most notorious and beloved figures. Lucas was only with the man for 15 years, as his confidante and henchmen. Johnson practically adopted him. What of his upbringing? His relationship with his brothers. He actually put a hit out on one of them. What about that? What about watching his 12 year old cousin get brutally murdered by the Klan? What about his elevation and maturation from common thug to the kingpin? There's a story there, similar to the legendary Don Vito Corleone character. What about seeing him descend on Harlem in it's hey day when it was a renaissance mecca, only to see it deteriorate under his and other drug lords reign of terror? What about the era itself?! The 60's and 70's, in regards to drugs and crime had to be one of the most prolific eras in New York history. The era was so explosive and I got none of that.
There were stories within stories and Brian Grazer (producer) and his creative team missed the mark big time. The film just lacked any real depth. I felt empty. They truly did not do their homework. How the hell could you have an actor as good as Cuba Gooding, Jr. playing one the most notorious drug lords of his day, Nicky Barnes and not give him more to work with? This can be said for all the actors, in fact. The casting roster reads like a Who's who of hot actors and yet there was nothing of substance in any of their performances. I blame the filmmakers as oppose to the cast for that. I actually would have loved to see what a Martin Scorsasee, Francis Ford Coppala, Spike Lee or Antwan Fuqua (who was originally slated to direct this) would have done with this work.
However, I must conclude that perhaps the American audience is to blame for such a disappointment. Our attention span is that of a gnat with ADHD. I remember working on a very well established show whose producer and director were more concerned about the length of the show, as oppose to the quality of it. American Gangster looked more like a patch job than a real film. It's like they were more concerned with keeping the audience interested, that they neglected to put anything of interest in the film. Perhaps its because we, the audience seem more concerned with fast food entertainment, than we do a story. Great movies have you talking at the water cooler, reenacting it with friends, making references everyone knows about. American Gangster was just one long American Tease (all hype no substance). But, considering some of the reviews I've read, perhaps thats all we really care about. |
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