American Gangster

Ronnie: When the mother of the gangster is the most compelling character in the movie and she's only in 3 or 4 scenes then I think you have a problem. This movie is fine, seriously. But Ruby Dee steals every scene she's in and had this movie been about a mob boss and his naive-ferocious mother I think you would have had something truly original. The mother in this movie acts as a metaphor for America. She closes her eyes to crime as long as it benefits her but once her life gets negatively impacted she starts to ask questions. She's a complex and hypocritical character and she represents most of us. She should have been in every other scene. She's the moral center in a way.The scene where she confronts Denzel is by far the best, most complex, saddest scene in the film. One could argue that she is the real American Gangster because she knows she lives in a corrupt world but keeps her mouth shut until it's too late. Denzel and Russell are both fine and unsurprising. We've seen these performances before. But Ruby Dee's scenes are so rich they make the rest of the movie seem flat in comparison.

Ruby Dee: Well, I don't agree but that sure is a nice thing for you to say, young man.

Ronnie: Actually, I'm 38.

Ruby Dee: Oh.