|
American
Gangster
Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller
Rated: R
Directed
by: Ridley
Scott
Starring: Denzel
Washington, Russell
Crowe, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Ruby
Dee, Lymari Nadal, Carla Gugino, Common,
RZA
Released by: Universal Pictures
In
Short: This based-on-fact tale of 1970s
Harlem drug kingpin Frank Lucas is a gritty,
compelling cops-and-robbers thriller that features
two Oscar-winning actors going toe-to-toe,
with satisfying results. |
|
Harlem's
Favorite Son
Living
a Real Life of Crime
by
Jenny Peters
Back
in the late 1960s and early 1970s, one man changed
the face of drug running in America. Frank Lucas,
an African-American who moved from North Carolina
to Harlem, learned the gangster trade from a powerful
underworld boss, and after the death of the boss,
Lucas took it to a whole new level. “American
Gangster” tells the compelling story of his
real-life rise and fall, with Denzel Washington
in the lead role, and Russell Crowe as Detective
Richie Roberts, the cop who brought down his empire.
Director
Ridley Scott (“Gladiator,” “Thelma
and Louise”) uses those two Oscar-winning actors – and
adds a third, casting Cuba Gooding, Jr. as notorious
Harlem bad guy Nicky Barnes – to great effect,
building a story that explores the personal motivations
of both men, framed against the turbulent backdrop of
the Vietnam War and the civil unrest that it caused in
America.
Adding
to the fascinating story is the fact that Lucas used
his whole family to create his heroin empire, modeling
his business structure on the Mafia’s same system
of protecting their own. Chiwetel Ejiofor gives a terrific
performance as Lucas’ mistake-prone brother,
and 83-year-old Ruby Dee as his aging mother reminds
us that, once a
great actor, always a great actor.
At nearly three hours, the film does run a bit
long for some tastes, but if films like “The
Godfather,” “Serpico,” or “Goodfellas” are
on your list of favorites, then it is likely that “American
Gangster,” with its dense layers and fascinating
characterizations of both criminals and cops, is going
to be a satisfyingly good time spent sitting in the
dark. 
PNJ110107 |
(Updated
11/02/07 NJ) |
|
