.

…kind of like Goodfellas but with black people and heroin instead of guidos and cocaine.

I finally cracked and went to see American Gangster ; I have to say that while it wasn’t the deepest, most profound film I’ve seen this year, it was really nice to go to the movies and be entertained for three hours. I can’t complain about the company either, special thanks to Dave and Patrick for holding my hands during the film’s track-marked, heroin-injecting glory.

Like my blog title implies, the film seemed a lot like Goodfellas, especially in the sense that it really captured the essence of another place and time, which in this case, was Harlem and Jersey (actually filmed in Williasburg, Bkln - oh snap! hipsters!) in the 1970’s. Russell Crowe who I can’t really tolerate in any context was surprisingly bearable and Denzel was pretty descent as well. Rolling Stone actually called it the “Black Scarface” but I think the Goodfellas analogy works just as well (if not… better). Denzel’s character, Harlem drug lord Frank Lucas, essentially tries to live big by a) importing heroin from Southeast Asia via US Army Vessels returning from Vietnam b) marrying a Puerto Rican Beauty Queen c) handing out free turkies on 125th Street and c) using the phrase “Myy mannn” about a billion times - the large living continues for Lucas up until, of course, like Goodfella’s Henry Hill, everything eventually comes crashing down around him.

As I said, all-in-all, the movie was entertaining and special guest appearances by RZA, Common and T.I. made it all the more watchable.

Check the stills:

(A dashing RZA with the infamously hot-headed Crowe)

(Common, bottom right, who apparently got to keep his signature personal stylo for the film)

(Handsome two-some: Denzel and T.I.)