Film Review: American Gangster

Director: Ridley Scott

Denzel Washington with one of his more under-stated performances as he plays real life gangster Frank Lucas, who said he was excited about the film but admitted that only small parts of it were actually true. The 2007 biographical crime drama is one of the more intelligent gangster movies to ever hit the big screen, its far more than just running scams and shooting anyone who gets in your way. The elements of class in society and the human side to the character of Frank Lucas also separates this film from its counterparts.

In 1968, Frank Lucas inherits the criminal empire of Harlem gangster Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson (Clarence Williams III). He was previously his limo driver but after Bumpy has a heart attack he takes over and starts shipping a potent brand of heroin called "Blue Magic". This puts him on a collision course with honest cop Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) who is looking to stamp out the supply from the very top after a colleague dies of an overdose of "Blue Magic". Lucas also has to contend with the Italian Mafia and other corrupt cops who all want a part of his large profits for working in their territory.

Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) with a show of intimidation

Russell Crowe puts in one of his better performances, akin to his role in L.A. Confidential that helped put him on the map in Hollywood. The cast is impressive across the board but its Ruby Dee as Mama Lucas that steals the plaudits and rightfully so (she was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress). One of the criticism of the film was that Washington's portrayal lacked the  "illiterate, vicious and violent" nature of Lucas himself, showing him to be more of a man to be revered, although that is something that many gangster films are guilty of. The swagger we see from his role as a dirty cop in Training Day is lost here even though he's still working on the wrong side of the law.

2.5/4 Decent acting and an engaging story