American Gangster

Reviewed by:
Pete Hammond

Way back in early '70s Harlem, the drug trade was run by a man that seemed like a churchgoing, mother-loving businessman, but actually was as brutal—and smart—as they come, turning what was previously the Mafia's bread and butter into a black-owned business. Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) was a driver for a gangster who learned everything he needed to know there and quickly one-upped the mob, becoming a real-life Superfly. Ingeniously importing heroin from Vietnam by shipping it into the States in the coffins of dead soldiers, Lucas became a huge success. Unfortunately for him, a scrappy Jersey cop (Russell Crowe) suspected something was up and became doggedly determined to bring him down. The movie traces their parallel stories (with the emphasis on Lucas), and only toward the end do we finally get to the main event—a gripping confrontation between the two adversaries that will remind you of that climactic scene between Pacino and De Niro in Heat. This is a great movie, a powerfully compelling saga from director Ridley Scott (Alien, Gladiator, Blade Runner), who tops himself with a brutal and brilliant film that cements Denzel Washington's status as the leading actor of his generation. You can't take your eyes off his stunning performance as the real-life Lucas. American Gangster marks a return to the lost art of true storytelling, every bit as epic as The Godfather, and just as fascinating to see. In addition to knockout performances from its two stars, there's terrific work from Josh Brolin as a cop on the take and Armand Assante as a mob chieftain, not to mention the great Ruby Dee as Frank's mom. It's long, and at certain intervals a bit unwieldy, but boy, does this sucker deliver the goods.