At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Here we have a film that feels like a lot of the "black" films, like the oust anding "soldier's story", trying to work in a little 'inside' humor. The story itself is a great one, it was the downfall of the reviled Schultz when he muscled in on the numbers racket.Tim Roth almost gets to Oscar territory in this movie. Absolutely spectacular. Andy Garcia, ditto BIG time. Fishburnes part is very stolid and one dimensional as maybe the real Bumpy was but nevertheless he delivers.A so so supporting cast, a weak script - except for Roth's lines - and Scorcese-oid attempts at certain setups and shots hose it down quite a bit for me. Funny story, I originally rented "Mobsters" by mistake and found that film pretty awful, this one was much better.Bad direction at times, but mostly watchable with good continuity. Queen Latifa, Vanessa Williams and - CICELY TYSON!!! - all are absolutely superb. Latifa is actually one of my favorite actresses, she really shines with what they give her.I would recommend it, historical inaccuracies aside (and there are MANY) because its an interesting story set at a time when the mob was finding new ways to make money after prohibition.Interesting tidbit for real history buffs: Ed O'Casey plays Bo Weinberg, shown here as a fat pickle munching sideman who gets shot. In real life, 'twas the Dutchman himself, legend has it, who beat Bo unconscious, stuck his feet in cement and, still living, tossed him in the Hudson river. Dutch Schultz was psychopath enough to do it, that's for sure.

Colorful, violent, a good cast, and excellent period recreation highlight this depression era Gangster Movie. Directed by Actor Bill Duke, it is at times talky and languishes a bit, but the action pieces are stylish and visceral.Guilty of repetitive speech making and some over acting, the Movie waivers between High Camp and a serious Character Study. Tim Roth almost steals the Show with a sleazy, disgusting, foul-mouthed portrayal of Dutch Schultz, but Laurence Fishburne as Bumpy Johnson, and Vanessa Williams in a supporting Role make their mark.The Film is never boring even though it tends to drag in spots and is over-long to a fault. Overall it is a mostly fictitious account that is worth a watch for its style, pizazz, great period detail, and brutal Gangster violence that the Genre demands.

Pros: Great cast, really nice costumes and settings. Fairly good story.Cons: Edgeless directing. Poor acting on some parts. Poor stunt fighting. Poor dialogue and some irrational behavior from characters.Let me first dream what this could have been with the right director; a dark, realistic, gangster drama with both emotions and action, as well as memorable performances.A reality check gives me a bleak movie. It is not exactly bad, but it never takes off in any way. It starts off with a street fight, so poorly performed you'd think it Star Trek from the 60's. It really makes it feel like you're watching a play, and that feeling sticks.The cast is great, although some subpar acting exists. Mainly from the duo of Chi McBride and Loretta Devine, who sometimes seems to play a parody of Afro American stereotypical acting. The weak dialogue and unsharp cutting/directing, hampers the rest of the cast though.What you'll get is a walk through a nice setting, seeing some nice people along the way. But the only thing you'll remember is what it could have been.

I really enjoyed this film. As far as crime dramas go it is up there with The Godfather to me. Laurence Fishburne was great in his role as Bumpy Johnson. Tim Roth gave a great performance also.The film did a great job portraying the inner turmoil of people. Also it did a great job at showing the racist attitudes of the times. Example: Dutch asking his main guy, who is black to wrap up his (shultz) sandwich scraps so that he (the black guy) could take them home to feed his grandkids. Classic subtle racism.The clothes and the music were also good for the period. One scene was even shot at the cotton club which no movie during this period is complete without.Great Job! Great Film!