American Gangster

Directed by: Ridley Scott
Starring: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Josh Brolin
Running Time: 2h 37min

An engaging and titillating gangster flick that tries whole heartedly to enshrine itself amongst the gangster elite, like Scarface, The Godfather, and more recently, Blow. Only time will tell whether or not it succeeds, but i'm betting on this true story of Frank Lucas to deservedly rest upon the same shelf as those gangster classics.

What's extremely interesting about American Gangster is that it really has two stories to tell. One is of the titular antihero, Frank Lucas, a self made millionaire from the late 60s, early 70s, who ran Harlem through his imported, potent brand of heroin. Washington plays him with some charisma, yet also much menace, delivering a scary yet dutifully controlled performance.

The other story centres itself around Crowe's cop character, a real boy scout who personifies what a good cop should be, even if he can't get his own life together for the sake of his family. For one, it's all about the job. For the other, it's about balancing family obligations and the business. For us, it's two and a half hours of dynamite entertainment.

Though there are no real highs or lows, or "you gotta see this" moments, director Ridley Scott has crafted a great gangster film, that doesn't take sides so much as it tries its best to present things as they were. Crowe and Washington give superb performances, making you wish they'd brought this to the decade old Virtuosity. The two share little screen time together, but much like Pacino and De Niro in Heat, their combined star power may have melted the screen if they weren't allowed to burn so brightly within their own scenes.

Thankfully, brother Ridley Scott hasn't succumbed to the stylistic tendencies of brother Tony, making this film seem like an honest to goodness throwback to the films of the era it is set in. French Connection and Serpico vibes are felt throughout, and it only adds to the grit and seediness of the film. It's almost unbelievable that this is based on a true story, as these two people seem like archetypes found only in the movies. No better pair of an antagonist and protagonist could a screenwriter dream up.

Scott has to be applauded for guiding these two story lines deftly, with little wasted energy or film. Had one side of the story been chosen to follow more closely, we would have been asking for more of the other side. Instead, it's perfectly balanced, never stoops to sensationalizing the violence or drugs, and keeps family and relationships at the centre of it all. American Gangster is a film that will be remembered for a long time.

Grade: B+