American Gangster is a semi-epic about the rise of heroin kingpin Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington, "Deja Vu") and the cop, Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe, "3:10 to Yuma") who's determined to bring him down. The movie cuts back and forth between the two men, leading us into their lives and work. Lucas is charismatic and ruthless. Roberts is determined, honest and sometimes lost in his personal life. I found his story to be much more engaging. Crowe is very restrained in the role and seems more like a real person. Washington is just too smooth. Based on actual events, the film covers many years and much information. But it seemed so slow in many parts. I found myself checking my watch. Also, Crowe and Washington only have about five minutes of shared screen time, a bit of a disappointment. It's impossible to make a movie like this and not be compared to The Godfather. There's at least one scene that, to me, seemed like a straight rip off. But maybe director Ridley Scott ("A Good Year") was trying for homage. Still good, but not great.
Saw IV is another chapter in the bloodbath franchise. Much of it is gross and painful. The timeline is a bit confusing. I kind of fell asleep for like 15 minutes, so maybe something really good happened then. All I can say is that I give it props for having Luke (Scott Patterson) from Gilmore Girls in a starring role.
I'll say up front that I love Wes Anderson ("The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou") and all things he touches, so take that into consideration when viewing my rating for
The Darjeeling Limited. Though I didn't feel as much emotional attachment to these characters as I sometimes do in Anderson films, I still found them fascinating. Owen Wilson ("Night at the Museum"), Adrien Brody ("Hollywoodland") and Jason Schwartzman ("Marie Antoinette") star as three brothers who haven't seen each other in the year since their father passed away. They reunite for a spiritual train voyage across India. Most of this is quirky if not downright absurd, but it's gorgeous to look at. My husband said that he would be like Brody's character and I would be like Wilson's character. Who wants soup? Raise your hand.