American Gangster - 2007

What It Is: Ridley Scott's Godfather-esque gangster flick with Denzel Washington and Russel Crowe.

Why I Watched It: Ridley Scott, Denzel Washington, and Russel Crowe.

What I Thought: So, the movie was good... but it wasn't great. From an educational perspective, the film was awesome since I knew nothing of gangster Frank Lucas before going in. From an entertainment perspective, the movie fell flat.

What American Gangster really lacked was flow. The build and release of tension is a necessary element of drama and without drama you just have a bunch of information on screen. American Gangster didn't feel like a story at all, but it was a damn good documentary!

Highlights: Frank's unexpected bursts of violence, Carla Gugino!, and remembering lessons in... "how to be a gentleman."

Who Should See It: Crowe or Denzel fans and true crime buffs.

How Soon: Wait for DVD.

Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid - 1969

What It Is: A classic western loosely based on the pair of infamous bank robbers.

Why I Watched It: It's a classic that I've never seen, it was written by William Goldman (author of The Princess Bride), and it features Paul Newman before he wrinkled up and started selling salad dressing.

What I Thought: This movie was funny, dramatic, and very quotable. It was everything I wanted from a Hollywood classic and considerably more than I expected from a film made in 1969.

Paul Newman played an excellent Butch Cassidy, the 'thinker' and the leader of the Hole In The Wall Gang. His always clever character reminded me a lot of all the things I loved in Cool Hand Luke. Robert Redford played the lightning quick gunslinger known as the Sundance Kid. The movie didn't feature too much quick-draw action, but the bit of gun play it did have was more than satisfying.

Overall, the absolute coolest thing about Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid was onscreen chemistry between the two leads. They functioned as an awesome team, always watching the other's back, but they still shot each other wisecracks and snarky comments the whole time. It reminded me of some of my own favorite friendships, where the most heinous accusation possible is always known to be meant jokingly and the trust is unwavering.

Highlights: "Guns or knives Butch", the train employee with the worst luck, Sundance's lovely way of sugar coating everything, too much dynamite, and an awesome ending!

Who Should See It: Western fans, Newman fans (the acting, not the dressing), film buffs, and most others.

How Soon: Whenever you want!

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)