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American Gangster

Review By: Andrea Tuccillo
AndreaTuccillo@TheCinemaSource.com

At the very beginning of American Gangster Denzel Washington’s Frank Lucas calmly approaches a man and very matter-of-factly puts a bullet through his skull. The way he executes this horrific murder is almost elegant, classy.

That’s how Lucas did everything in life—with a mask of understated charm and grace; a strong, silent confidence. He was a self-made man who came to own the streets of Harlem through the drug trade, smuggling in pure heroin directly from Thailand and selling it for cheaper than the competition. He was a clever entrepreneur who kept a low profile as he rose in wealth and power surpassing even the nefarious Italian mob. He was both respected by the community and feared by his competitors. But like all empires, Frank Lucas’ eventually had to come to an end.

American Gangster tells the true tale of his rise and fall, and it tells it very well. After his mentor Harlem crime fixture Bumpy Johnson dies, Lucas seizes the opportunity to become his successor. On the flip-side of the law is Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe ), an honest narcotics cop in a department filled with corrupt officers (who’d rather take their cut of the drug trade money than make any arrests). Roberts becomes a laughingstock when he turns in a million dollars in unmarked cash rather than keep it for himself. Though he alienates his colleagues, he’s soon recruited by the FBI to head up a special narcotics task force aimed at bringing down the major drug lords and the corrupt policemen they bankroll. While Roberts has a strong ethical code at work, his personal life is in shambles thanks to his shameless womanizing and nasty divorce.

The film follows the separate stories of these two men until their opposing forces inevitably collide. As a rule, Lucas maintains a low profile. He doesn’t submit to the excesses of fellow drug dealer Nicky Barnes (Cuba Gooding Jr.). One time he relents, stepping out in a chinchilla coat his wife (Lymari Nadal) got him as a birthday present. The problem? It gets him noticed by Roberts. It’s Lucas’ first major slip-up but it puts Roberts hot on his trail and sends the movie rolling towards its explosive climactic showdown.

Entertainment Weekly’s recent cover story called them “two titans” and it’s true. Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe are two of the most formidable actors of their generation. They are the main attraction of this film and they do not disappoint.

Washington is stoically controlled as Lucas, a man with two sides to his personality. From the beginning, Washington allows you to see the wheels in Lucas’ head turning. Before you even know what he’s up to, his plan is in motion. He’s watching and listening, and when ...