American Gangster

Probably the best movie we've seen so far this year. Violent, gritty, moral and amoral. A movie where, finally, there is no equivocation about good and evil. And a movie where the audience leaves feeling there is some justice in the world. The human propensity to addiction is difficult to digest- most humans have the ability to be addicted- to have their lives ruined by substance abuse. And we pity the weak. But we have no sympathy for the dealer- the supplier who cares for nothing but his money. Russell Crowe does a fantastic job here- controlled, decent, and yet his ex-wife sees his doing his job as evil as a drug dealer's because it means he ignores his child. She could not be farther from the truth, because a man as hard working and decent as this character is a role model for a child. The script is so well written that it doesn't tip you off - you sit hoping that the ending will be just. Go see it.