what he says could be true but only for those who could detect the subtle differences..most filmgoers wont and wont give a shit. they want to see two great performers doing their thing with crime as the back drop, sidney lumet?! you think 22yr olds know from sidney..there should be a well cast gangster movie every year!!!

I'm still waiting for Virtuosity II.

Point Blank is great, but it's more of an art film than a gritty action movie.

How about Donnie Brasco directed by Mike Newell. One of the best and most authentic.

Walter Sobchak: some blogsites out there actually forbid First! comments, & ban people who still do it. I'll bet tho that Jeffrey is a more tolerant man (for your sake!) ;)

Re American Gangster's Oscar chances, could the Academy go for a gangster/crime film best picture 2 years in a row?

Weird, but that American Gangster review is exactly what my feelings about The Departed were last year: "undeniably entertaining ... but great it's not."

I like R.S. and expect great things from Crowe on nearly every outing. But in seeing this trailer over and over the weakest part of the film seems like it is Denzel. I have tremendous respect for him but the delivery, swagger, tone of his character looks like the same old Denzel acting mannerisms that I've seen over and over during his career.

Anybody have this reaction to the trailer as well? Hopefully there's something more to it because my reaction right now is "been there, done that."

renorambler: "but the delivery, swagger, tone of his character looks like the same old Denzel acting mannerisms that I've seen over and over during his career."

Point taken, but that's why I worship Washington; for the same reason I'll watch Bogart or Cagney in anything: Neither played against type often and it was watching them do what they did best in films built around them -- Ridley Scott's specialty -- that keeps me coming back.

As someone who loathed "The Departed" because of the two weak main players (Damon, Leo), piled on contrivances, and an over-the-top Nicholson, AG is the film I've been waiting for all year.

Denzel and Nicholas Pileggi: The most exciting thing to happen to the gangster film in ten years.

Denzel has his individual style and superficial mannerisms which remain generally consistent. He's that type of actor, and always has been. So what? So was DeNiro in most of his best work (in fact, DeNiro was usually embarassing when he's trying not to be DeNiro-esque--ie Frankenstein or Rocky And Bullwinkle). Same for Hackman, Nicholson

I don't give a shit if Jimmy Stewart still looked and sounded like Jimmy Stewart in Vertigo. It's an all-time great performance, regardless of the fact that his superfical mannerisms weren't that different from most of his other characters. I'm tired of this bullshit where people think you've got to do funny voices, walks and all that crap to create a distinct characterisation. I happen to admire the consistency of Washington's screen persona. It's old school in a sense, but damned effective.

And Denzel looks far and away the best thing the trailers imho, which most of the reviews so far (even McCarthy) seem to confirm. Crowe's brilliant and I admire his work, but I'm watching this film to see Washington do his bit for onscreen gangsterism.

What no one's saying about this movie is that Crowe is really in a supporting role. It's the Denzel show all the way, and it's too bad, because Crowe is the more interesting performer.

While I was watching the DVD of THE DUELLISTS the other day Ridley Scott said in passing on one of the extras that before it he had tried to get a film version of the London Gun-Powder Plot off the ground. I would love for him to try to resurrect that now. As we know, Guy Fawkes was the only man to ever enter Parliament with noble intentions.

THIRTEENTH!

It does ring true?? Russel Crowe's Betty Boop accent sounds like a real NY accent to you?