OK film - nothing special

Rating: 4/10 (21 January 2008)

I want to get this out of the way first - American Gangster is a lot like Goodfellas. Of course, that's an easy comparison to make - every gangster film of the past 20 years owes a debt to Scorsese's film, which set the bar with its dynamic performances and compelling yet realistic storyline. Comparing the two films is something of a back-handed compliment because Scott's film is also an engaging affair, but not quite to the same extent as Goodfellas. Maybe because realising just how much it's like Goodfellas distracted a little from Gangster's own merit.
There is quite a bit of merit, though. Both Crowe and Washington deliver good performances. In regards to which was better, I'm going to nominate Washington as giving the better performance. He plays the benevolent gangster well, albeit with his fair share of actions that will polarise the audience (the most memorable being a very public execution of a rival). Crowe pulls the same trick in his own way - a too-honest cop with his own surprises - but Washington is just that extra bit more interesting. The movie is essentially about his character - he made it work well.
Apart from the lead performances that anchor the film, what else does American Gangster have to offer? A decent enough true-crime drama, with few thrills or action but what there is keeps you interested enough over the course of about two and a half hours (if any film can do that, it must be doing something right). Although on its own, American Gangster is a well-made piece of crime drama, it suffers from being derivative of earlier crime movies and even the odd cliché thrown in for good measure (including Josh Brolin as an über-corrupt detective who is an enemy to both Roberts and Lucas). Regardless, if you're into this kind of thing, you should enjoy it a fair bit. Just don't expect anything mind-blowingly original.