American Gangster

This highly anticipated biopic did not disappoint. Denzel was brilliant, as always and as great of an actor as he is playing the protagonist, he's so much better when he's a ruthless, despicable criminal. The true story follows Frank Lucas' rise and fall during the twilight years of the Vietnam war as he uses his family military connections in Asia to smuggle heroin into Harlem. Crowe plays Richie Roberts, seemingly the only honest cop in New York (but with plenty of personal problems) who finds himself heading up the drug task force. His performance was well done, but was understated. He draws considerable comparison in my mind to Pacino in Serpico, fighting crime and the corrupt brotherhood at the same time, but doing so without much flamboyance or self-pity. There's even a scene when he's calling for backup and the dispatcher asks "who is this?" He identifies himself and is informed that "there are no units in the area, Detective Roberts."

My favorite comeback player of the year, Josh Brolin (Planet Terror, In the Valley of Elah, No Country for Old Men), delivers a scorching performance as the hotshot New York detective on the take. I would expect at least one nomination for him this year, if not two. The rest of the cast does well, and the direction was as expected from Ridley Scott, who has produced some of the most entertaining films of the last 30 years. The attention to detail of the early 1970's clothes, guns, cars, phones and even the massive recording device that a nervous informant taped to his chest made it a truly believable throwback crime drama. The reviewer for Entertainment Weekly hit it right on calling it a blend of Serpico, Scarface, Godfather and the French Connection. I couldn't have said it better myself.

The excitement of corruption mixed with the uncertainty of procedure in the run and gun police work really lets the viewer believe that dirty cops get away with murder and criminals can do whatever they want. This was a great, truly epic story that ends with an exciting shootout, and then an anti-climactic obligatory explanation of what happened next. The film was a little long at 2 hr. 40 mins., but it worked well and didn't drag out any unnecessary scenes or character development or linger in any one area too long. I would expect this one to be a heavy hitter come Oscar time (see the Departed, 2006). 9/10.