Amazing Acting, on an amazing story

Rating: 9/10 (19 December 2005)

American History X is very well down, with amazing acting (as usual) on the part of Ed Norton, in particular. I was also particularly pleased with Avery Brooks' performance. Ed Norton excels in playing dynamic characters, and this performance is in-line with his acting in Fight Club and The People vs. Larry Flint -- his performance is an honest and believable portrayal of self-recognition and redemption
The camera work and direction are well-designed and artistic. If there's one thing this movie lacks, however, the writing is not on the same par as the rest of the movie -- the overall screenplay makes a classic, but the individual lines fall flat and some of the mechanics used for exposition fall pretty flat.