American Gangster – Starring Russell Crowe & Denzel Washington

American Gangster (2007)(DVD) Directed by Ridley Scott (Blade Runner (1982), Thelma & Louise (1991), Gladiator (2000), Robin Hood (2010)), starring Russell Crowe (A Beautiful Mind (2001), State of Play (2009)) and Denzel Washington (Glory (1989), Training Day (2001), Inside Man (2006)), with Josh Brolin (In the Valley of Elah (2007), No Country for Old Men (2007), Milk (2008), Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010)), Ruby Dee (A Raisin in the Sun (1961), Do the Right Thing (1989)), John Hawkes (excellent in Winter’s Bone (2009)), Cuba Gooding Jr. (As Good as It Gets (1997), Pearl Harbor (2001)) and others.  A crime drama, based loosely on the life of Frank Lucas, a large-scale Harlem drug dealer in the late 1960s and early 70s.  Aside from questions of historical veracity, after all the film is not a documentary, American Gangster is a consummate work:  The acting is excellent on the part of virtually all the cast, Ridley Scott’s directing is superb, the care taken in the set and context design is close to perfect, the writing is sharp, the music apt.  The screenplay, written by Stephen Zaillian, after many workings over by others, fascinates in its details and in its counterpoint between good, evil, morality, family and isolation, temptation and determination.  American Gangster is an excellent film that merits watching, and owning, and is all the more interesting in repeat viewings. (PR)

See our posts on State of Play, with Russell Crowe, In the Valley of Elah, No Country for Old Men, and Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps with Josh Brolin, Winter’s Bone with John Hawkes and As Good as It Gets with Cuba Gooding Jr.

We recommend that you buy your DVDs and Blu-ray Disks.  Create a great personal film library..  Here are links to amazon.com:

top image: Wikipedia

nothingisinvisible@live.fr

Winter’s Bone

Winter’s Bone (2010)  Directed by Debra Granik (Down to the Bone (2004))    This excellent, and award-winning, independent film, written and directed by Debra Granik , based on the eponymous novel by Daniel Woodrell, in its grim, spare, haunting evocation of  life’s extraordinary harshness, and the brutality with which humankind often seems over-endowed, offers, as well, inspiring moments of love, respect, tenderness and devotion.  The screenplay, lighting, cinematography and directing are truly inspired and the acting, especially Jennifer Lawrence (The Burning Plain (2008), The Hunger Games (to be released in 2012)) as Ree Dolly, an inspiring and determined, rural poor young woman, but also John Hawkes (The Perfect Storm (2000), American Gangster (2007), Contagion (2011)) as her fearsome, methamphetamine-addicted uncle, Teardrop, and, in fact, virtually the entire cast, is simply superlative.  Often described as “country noir“, this is a hard, violent film with a great deal of tension, and may not be for everyone.  Nevertheless, for those interested in serious, contemporary American independent cinema, Winter’s Bone is without a doubt a must-see. (PR)

We recommend that you buy your DVDs and Blu-ray disks.  Have a wonderful personal film library..  Here are links to amazon.com:

top image: Wikipedia

nothingisinvisible@live.fr