ThiefHott Too much of everything

GamerTab That was an excellent one.

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

Kaelan Mccaffrey Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

hatlad Action packed plot with plenty of twists and turns. Viewer won't get bored watching it.Believable characters, but I don't know if they're factually represented.Great job of acting by every character.Engaging dialogue. The only over-the-top profanity was from the Dutch Schultz character. But I found myself laughing at his way of phrasing things. "Have 'im over for f-ing dinner for all I care."Scenery and setting and costumes and props all immerse the audience in the period. Good stuff!

dentrex 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.

LeonLouisRicci 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.

Newsense Bill Duke has made some great movies like Sister Act 2, Deep Cover, A Rage In Harlem etc and I'd like to see more movies from him. But I also understand that before that happens you will see more films from Uwe Boll and Quentin Tarantino(the most overrated director in the world!). This movie might not have won any awards or gotten praise by these high brow snobs and the trend-following puppets that run amok on IMDb but its still an excellent piece of work directed by Bill Duke(who stared in Commando, Predator, Exit Wounds, National Security and Busta Rhymes' Dangerous video) with excellent performances from an all-star cast.Set in the Depression Era of 1930s Harlem, The only way people could make money was through the "Numbers racket which is ran by Stephanie St. Clair(Cicely Tyson) also known as " The Queen". An arrogant and brash gangster called Dutch Schultz wants to take control of the numbers game and ends up bumping heads with Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson(Laurence Fishburne) who is just released from jail. These two get into a series of wars and everything starts to get out of control. Laurence Fishburne as well as Tim Roth were great in this film. Andy Garcia played it mellow as Lucky Luciano but he was better here than he was in 8 Million Ways To Die. There are also some solid performances here by Cicely Tyson, Loretta Devine, Chi Mcbride(Illinois) and Vanessa Williams(Bumpy's love interest). As far as complaints I have none. Hoodlum is well written and well acted. It pays homage to gangsters but doesn't glorify them. I tip my hat of to Bill Duke for this one. Two thumbs up as high up as they can go.