American Gangster

HUGE

It’s been over a decade since Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe thrilled us in the sci-fi actioner, Virtuosity back in 1995. Crowe played the sadistic artificial program Sid 6.7 who literally escapes from the computer, prompting government officials to release ex-cop Parker Barnes ,played by Washington, from prison. The only one capable of stopping him. Now, both actors who have made tremendous progress with academy awards for best performance in a leading role, are finally together again, trading roles in director Ridley Scott's American Gangster.

The self-indulgent 70's set the backdrop for this true-to-life crime story about ambitious drug lord Frank Lucas (Washington) who literally flooded the streets of Harlem with heroine. He inherits the "business" from his father Bumpy Johnson (a noticeably uncredited Clarence Williams III) and immediately begins a campaign of independence from anyone who would control him.

Street smart, Serpicoesue Manhattan cop Ritchie Roberts' (Russell Crowe) investigation into the city's drug peddling eventually leads him to Lucas and determines to take him down. He definitely doesn't let some personal problems interfere too much with this, still taking time to deal with those too.

While they may be trading places, this is Denzel's sophomore performance as the "bad guy." Being the criminal this time around, he makes his corrupt cop Alonzo Harris from Training Day look like a backslidden angel. He can smile in your face one minute, then kill you the next. And with such stark impassiveness it may leave you wondering how you can still cheer for him. Yet, for most of us, Denzel can do no wrong, swaying you to his side despite some of the atrocities he commits; two of which may shock you.

Crowe has also recently done a second role as the heavy in the remake of 3:10 To Yuma. He shows the same resolve playing the cop as his co-star did in Virtuosity. His Roberts is decidedly incorruptible amongst a police force which sticks by it's own- no matter what, resulting in his being an outcast.

Some of most interesting people are Lucas' kin folk including his brothers Huey (Chiwetel Eijiofor) Turner (Common), Melvin (Warner Miller), his nephew Stevie, an aspiring pro ball pitcher played by rapper T.I. and the illustrious Ruby Dee as his sweet mother who has absolutely no idea what her son does for a living while practically everyone else does.

Scribe Steve Zaillian's 2 1/2 hour adaptation of Mark Jacobson's article "The Return of Superfly" presents a thorough trek as to how Lucas' ingenuity helped him to obtain all the heroine he needed, maintaining a constant supply to the community. Thoroughness naturally slows a film's pace, yet Zaillian fully compensates with enough action/excitement to keep you from getting totally bored.

Teaming once again with his production designer Arthur Max, Ridley Scott has aptly recreated the world of the 70's complete with afros, bell bottom pants, platform shoes and the Vietnam War. In giving Denzel the role of another antagonist in a film that was actually supposed to start rolling back in 2004 but was canned because of budget problems, Scott may have helped secure the actor another Oscar nomination.

American Gangster review
By Jorge Solis
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HUGE

The rise and fall of drug kingpin Frank Lucas could have been just another regular movie. Instead his story becomes a memorable film because of the powerhouse performances by Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe.

We have seen this movie before with Johnny Depp as George Jung in Blow, even Wesley Snipes as Nino Brown in New Jack City. What makes Frank Lucas different is how he was able to use the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War to benefit himself. He was able to bring drugs from Vietnam to the U.S. using the coffins and dead bodies of fallen American soldiers. He was under the radar from the FBI because racist agents could not believe a black man could rise above the Italian Mafia. By all means people should be disgusted with Frank Lucas because his men ripped apart dead soldiers and stuffed drugs into them but Denzel Washington brings out enough charisma to get the audience to root for this man.

Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe have worked together in a movie together named Virtuosity. In Virtuosity, Russell Crowe played the bad guy and Denzel Washington was the good guy hunting him down. Now in American Gangster their roles are reversed. Russell Crowe now plays the good cop and Denzel Washington is the drug lord he has to take down. Both actors do not meet in Amercian Gangster until the climatic third act.

DVD 2 disc, unrated, extended edition

This is also the third time Russell Crowe has worked with director Ridley Scott. Russell Crowe won the Oscar for Best Actor because of Ridley Scott in Gladiator. They collaborated again in the drama, A Good Year. Even though A Good Year was a bomb at the box office, Russell Crowe’s acting was different under Ridley Scott’s direction. Now in American Gangster, director Ridley Scott has Rusell Crowe imitate the physical and vocal mannerisms of the real detective Richie Roberts.

I should also mention the impressive performance of Josh Brolin as corrupt Detective Trupo in American Gangster. He has individual scenes with Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. He holds the scenes on his own and somehow manages to steal the show from both of them. This caught me by surprise because I did not see Josh Brolin in the same league with the other two.

Also, Clarence Williams III plays the role of Bumpy Johnson, the kingpin who taught Frank Lucas everything he knew. I liked Laurence Fishburne’s performance of Bumpy Johnson in the movie, Hoodlum. Bumpy Johnson is mentioned in American Gangster but to get some history
and a better idea of who he was, rent Hoodlum.

American Gangster is divided into two parts. People who are interested in the rise and fall of Frank Lucas will prefer Denzel Washington’s performance. People who are interested in the police procedural will prefer Russell Crowe’s act.

American Gangster
by Christian De Matteo

Super

Apparently, as my wife pointed out to me, Hollywood happens to be in a focus on the Police Corruption in 70s and 80s New York mode. A few weeks back we went to see We Own the Night and now tonight we got to see American Gangster. Well, if that is indeed the truth, so be it, because it's making for some really good films.

As with We Own the Night, I didn't really get what I expected here, and here that's very good because what I expected was kind of crappy. I was worried we were going to have another Scarface style movie the rap community to grab onto as another justification for the glorification of crime. Whem Jay-Z jumped on the project of doing a soundtrack inspired by the movie, I was sure that's what it was. Granted, I like Jay-Z a lot, he's one of the few rappers I still bother to listen to, but I was worried this was a going to be a hip movie.

It isn't. In fact, it's not anything but a what-it-is movie, a rare treat indeed. Ridley Scott pulls no punches here in telling a story about a man who made a legend out of himself on the streets of Harlem. What's so wonderfully and obviously missing from this film is romance. I don't mean man and woman romance, but the romance of fairy tales, traditional or Urban. The only time the term "Robin Hood" is mentioned is from the TV news cast which feels very clearly like Scott making fun of the media. What he tells is brutal or boring reality.

This is not a fast-paced movie - something that seems to be happening a lot lately. Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington don't have the opportunity to have an incredible car chase/shoot-out/cool-dialogue show-down. Instead we get two very separate stories of two driven men who are both willing to sacrifice certain things for what they believe in. We in the audience won't always agree with either of their choices. And, most wonderfully, we will be clear on the fact that above all else, Frank Lucas was a criminal. Sure he was big time, but he wasn't a good man.

And that's a rare thing to see in American crime movies.

We live in a culture where often everything is good so long as it's viewed in it's appropriate universe. It's called Relativism. American Gangster doesn't have room for that. When Lucas is violent, he's helluva violent. When Lucas is cutthroat, he's helluva cutthroat. And what the bottom line is, is that he's a drug-dealer and he's killing off his own people and getting rich off of it. Even he barely tries to pretend differently. And Denzel is wonderful. Only an actor of his Denzel's caliber could pull of this role and still get you to care what happens to him even if you don't exactly like him. This is because he plays him real.

And so does Crowe. Russell Crowe plays a nervous but driven man who's going to get what he wants. He, just like Lucas, has principles and morals that he will not stray from. Unlike Lucas, more of his line up on the good side of things. Crowe does an excellent job playing an understated man who has something to say.

With a barrage of fantastic cameos and a plethora of locations, the movie moves forward at a good clip, even though long. There's always something happening and we're always in on the action. While not much happens, all of it matters. And one tiny, almost insignificant choice on the part of Lucas, turns everything around. Which, maybe, is ultimately the message of the movie. Stay true to your principles, morals and beliefs, because even one small betrayal could be your downfall. Lucas learned that, but he learned it too late.

American Gangster is a top-notch film. It's not a great entertainment, or movie, but it's a top-notch heavy film. And it's well worth the price of admission.