American Gangster
Ever since Francis Ford Coppola made "The Godfather, Parts I and II" (Part III was obviously the work of pod people who had stolen the souls of Coppola, Pacino, Keaton and others), the envious and less talented have tried to match or top him with crime movies as operatic family dramas.
Give it up, kids. It can't be done.
I don't care how many awards Scorsese gets, "The Departed" is a reckless disgrace.
And Ridley Scott, the director of "American Gangster," is an incredibly gifted craftsman, but he is not an artist, not by a long shot.
"Gangster" is tedious and drawn out and repetitive and boring. Did I mention that it's too long?
We quit after one hour. The DVD counter indicated we had another 1:56 to go.
I don't think so.
I'm as willing as the next sucker to waste my precious time away on a Saturday night, but puleeese...
Nobody is faulting all the first-rate actors, and there are many aboard this train to nowheresville.
