Number 5: Paid in Full
Paid in Full is a true story about a group of young man who rose to the top of
the cocaine industry in Harlem. At the start of the movie, Ace (main character) is stucked
in a minimum wage job in a dry cleaner's shop. However Ace's sister boyfriend, Calvin is a
big-time drug dealer who often tries to lure Ace in a life of drug dealing by playing on his need for money and a flashy lifestyle that they all wanted. Ace would regularly refuse his offers but it so happened that Calvin luck had ran out with the law, leaving his cocaine empire open for anyone to take control of it, that person was no one but Ace himself. He rose to fame quickly in the criminal underworld but he was very smart and operated from behind the scenes. If you haven't seen this movie then you need to do so right now!
Number 4: American Gangster
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Produced by: Ridley Scott
Staring: Denzil Washington
Russell Crowe
Chiwetel Ejiofor
This is no doubt one of Denzil Washington's top movies, from an actor who gave us movies like; Great debaters, Pelham 123, John Q and a whole lot more.
American Gangster is in the hall of fame of Mafia movies. The film is based on the life and true story of Frank Lucas, who was a notorious gangster of the 1960's who snuggled heroin into the U.S. from Vietnam through American service planes returning from Vietnam during a time of war between both countries.
The movie begins with Frank working as the limbo driver and right-hand man of notorious gangster "Bummpy Johnson". As the movie progresses Johnson became victim of a fatal heart attack, leaving his worldly possessions in the hands Frank. Lucas Then took control of Harlem's criminal underworld by selling his "blue magic" (cocaine) which he bought directly from the producers In Thailand. Blue magic was the best and also cheapest drug on the streets of Harlem, demolishing his rival and competing drug dealers. Lucas quickly became very rich, buying several night clubs to the control of casinos and prostitution rings as well as a mansion for his mother but like every gangster before, his rise to fame was short lived. This movie is a classic you definitely need to watch this Mafia film.
Number 3: God father trilogy
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Produced by: Albert S. Ruddy
Staring: Marlon Brando
Al Pacino
Richard Castellano
The godfather is an original American crime film with it's contents based on a novel written by Mario Puzo in 1969 called "God father"
The movie is about a crime boss who is the Don of a New York crime family called the Corleone. Vito Corleone has everything going for him, nice house, large and loving family and his daughter was getting married.
However, on the flip side, another crime boss "Virgil Sollozo" tries to pursued Vito Corleone to invest in an emerging drug trade and to offer them protection through his political alliances. Vito disapproves of the offer made by Virgil which led to an assassination attempt made on his life that landed him in the hospital.
This led to Vito's eldest son and protege "Sonny" taking control of the Corleone empire. Sonny, then quickly took revenge for his father mishaps, which shortly led to his own death. While driving to assist his sister after she was beaten by her lover, sonny was riddled with bullets by enemy gangsters.
The plot then progresses to where Michael Corleone, the youngest son of Vito Corleone became the head of the family, brining back the family's name to the four front of the crime families in New York.
This is the Rosetta stone of Mafia movies, it has won three Oscars; best picture, best actor and best adopted screen play. If you haven't seen the God father trilogy, do so now. It's a great adventure.
Number 2: Scar face
Directed by: Brian de Palma
Produced by: Martin Bregman
Written by: Oliver Stone
Staring: Al Pacino
Scar face is a 1983 American mafia film that got its name from a previous mafia film also called Scar face in 1932, which was about original gangster at the time Al Capone. The movie is about a Cuban refugee called Tony Montana who arrived in Miami and was placed in a highly secure refugee camp along with three of his close friends.
At the camp Montana got an offer he couldn't resist, which was to assassinate a government official in return for obtaining his freedom and a green card.
Upon his release from the refugee camp, Montana alongside his friend "Manny" began doing criminal activities such as drug dealing for a wealthy drug dealer by the name of Frank Lopez. Satisfied with their work, Frank hired both of them as his henchmen full-time and they were responsible for taking care of his business. During his long and ruthless journey to becoming rich, Tony moved up the ranks from being just a regular right hand man of Frank to becoming a major drug kingpin himself, even executing his ex boss Frank and later marrying Frank's wife Elvira Hancock. Tony became very powerful, with his cocaine empire spreading to Bolivia where he did business with another Drug kingpin by the name Alejandro Sosa. In the end Tony's and Alejandro business dealings dissolved over a conflict of interest between both of them, that resulted in the death of Tony.
This movie is a must see
Number 1 Good fellas
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Produced by: Irwin Winkler
Staring: Robert De Niro
Joe Pesci
Lorraire Bracco
Paul Soruviro
Good fellas is a 1990 American crime film written by Nicholas Pileggi. The film is about the rise and fall of lucchese crime family associate Henry hill and his friends. The movie is regarded as one of the greatest films of all time.
The plot begins with a young Henry, who has big dreams of one day becoming a gangster or "made men" as they put it in the movie. Henry grew up in East New York, Brooklyn in 1955, he so desired to become a gangster that he quit school to work for the lucchese crime family, his father was very angry.
Henry started to make a living for himself while still a teenager an learning the fundamentals of being a gangster. Further on in his criminal lifestyle, Henry associated himself wit a group of top gangsters who helped him with his first big time robbery which was his first major achievement in the underworld. Henry's life change for the better; money, girl, cars, vacation and all that he dreamt of, he later married and settled with his wife Karen.
However as the story progress, Henry alongside his two friends Tommy and Jimmy made a wrong move by murdering another gangster who's body they buried in a deserted area, this later led to the reprisal death of Tommy.
Henry and Jimmy were later sent to prison for beating an indebted gambler, this was Henry's first but not his last time behind bars. Being the money maker that Henry was, even while in prison he was selling drugs to help his family on the outside. Upon his release Henry's life was a wreck, from his cheating habits to overdosing on cocaine. However, Henry gave it one last shot to riches as he tries to sell drugs to gangsters in Pittsburgh. He was caught an sent to prison and leaving his fellow mobster friend Jimmy feeling betrayed. This is a movie that never gets boring. It also captures fully the ambition of a young gangster right through to his end.
