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Reviews
American Gangster (2007)
how about Black Gangster or product of the environment...
this is one of the best based on a true story gangster dramas i have ever seen. this film goes right up there with Goodfellas. the only issue i have with the film is how sudden the end seems to occur. the way things began to quickly unravel was totally unexpected. having knowledge of the back story, or the actual story, makes this film even more interesting. the relationship between Frank Lucas and Ritchie Roberts is not portrayed in the film with great detail, but the subtleties of the beginning of the relationship are introduced. although Lucas is an unapologetic criminal, he is also a business and family man. Roberts is honest to a fault with serious family issues. the ironic parallels are presented in the film in very interesting visual sequences. this movie does not try to turn Lucas into a hero, but it is difficult not to admire what Lucas was able to achieve given his environment. there are many reasons to see this movie. if you like gangster movies, see this. if you like Denzel, see this. if you like movies that actually employ African-American talent, see this. finally, if you just want to see an interesting story of two highly motivated individuals with opposing goals, see this.
not surprisingly, the real life relationships that were portrayed in this film are even more interesting than as portrayed in the film.
Pandora's Box (2002)
wow, this movie's tag line is so fitting...
without being too detailed, this has to be one of the worst movies i have ever seen in my entire life. my partner got this on her Netflix and i was still upset to see it. watching this movie was like staring at someone who looks horrible because you cannot believe that a person could be in public looking that horrible. it was like rooting for the underdog with some hope that a win was possible. not only was it impossible, it was laughably impossible. even the little things were horrible. the police looked like security guards. the chase scene was downright silly. the only positive thing about this movie is that it gave the actors and crew some employment.