Erasmus, Inglês e American Gangster!

Inglês é sem dúvida a minha aula favorita desta minha experiencia Erasmus. O nível do curso que me foi atribuído é C2, somos apenas 5 alunos que basicamente convivem de forma a por em pratica o seu inglês. Música, cinema e artigos de jornal são alguns exemplos de temas que são postos na mesa.

Um dos nossos “trabalhos” consistia em escolher um filme, e escrever uma crítica sobre o mesmo. Cada um tem de ver os filmes escolhidos pelos outros para no final comentarmos as críticas.

American Gangster foi o filme que escolhi e segue-se s crítica! 

Review (by Alexandre das Neves):

The last words of Bumpy Johnson (Clarence Williams III), the leading crime boss of Harlem in the end of the 60s, state the beginning of a new era, an America without any leader but the System. Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington), his driver, collector and long time friend took advantage of this System and followed the steps of his mentor adapting his style to this new America of the 70’s.

Director Ridley Scott brings you this meticulous and detailed adaptation with more than two and a half hours where nothing much is let unexplained. You are led to immerse in the story, and even fall for Frank Lucas charm, finding yourself whishing him to escape free of all his crimes until Ridley Scott brings you to the reality again.

One of the characteristics of this movie is its two main characters. The good and honest cop, Richie Roberts, who’s determined to stop Frank Lucas and all the existing corruption around him while he puts aside is job as husband and father, emerging himself into a chaotic personal life. On the other side, “the most dangerous man walking the street”, Frank Lucas, which becomes the kingpin of Harlem, determined to prevail and create a monopoly without attracting attention to himself and is family while keeping is personal life intact with “peace of mind” and a perfect and unified family.

Some will classify this movie as another gangster movie with lots of clichés, and those who will, will be right, it’s another rise and fall history about the life of a gangster, where the end is even predictable. Nevertheless, all of them are, but not all are great. The fact of being based on a true story makes you think of it at the end of the movie, about all that you just saw as it probably, more or less, happened.

“See, you are what you are in this world. That’s either one of two things, either you’re somebody, or you nobody.”, Frank Lukas in American Gangster