"Get in line. That one stretches around the block, too."

Rating: 10/10 (14 June 2009)

American Gangster is a brilliant crime film, and that's all there is to it. Not only does it deliver pure, escapist entertainment, but it is also more thoughtful and thought-provoking than the average "organized crime" film.
The first thing I will comment on is the direction. I love Ridley Scott's direction. For one thing, he has an excellent grasp on building suspense, which in American Gangster plays a major role in keeping the audience involved. His direction is first-rate, and I noticed that he used the imagery of coffee very often in the film. A shot near the end of the film, where coffee is spilt all over a bed, is particularly effective (not to mention aesthetically pleasing). However, there is one aspect of American Gangster's direction I highly disliked, and that is the over, explicit sexuality, in particular the numerous naked bodies of women. I'm not a fan of these kinds of images in film (particularly when used in excess), but other than this problem, American Gangster's direction is pure gold.
Another thing I particularly like about AG is that the characters do not feel like archetypes or stereotypes, which is a huge danger for any crime film to fall into. A particularly interesting move is that Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington's characters are practically the same because they're exact opposites. Crowe's detective finds $1 million in unmarked bills in the trunk of a car and returns it. Yet he cheats on his wife—he's an honest cop, yet dishonest in family life. Washington's character, meanwhile, is a criminal. But he truly loves his wife and his family— he's honest in family matters but dishonest where the law is concerned. The two are shadowy reflections of each other, and this only helps the story even more.
Another fascinating thing about American Gangster is that it doesn't end in the conventional, blockbuster-style shootout. As for the music— it's effective, but forgettable— nothing to write home about.
Here we get to the themes of American Gangster. One of them is family, and how it really does matter. Frank Lucas is sure to take care of his family. For instance, when he shows his mother her new room, it is revealed that he had a dresser built for it, built from his memory of a dresser she had when he was a child, one that was taken away. Frank, as is pointed out, also stands for progress. He is a successful black gangster, even more successful than the Mafia crime families. This is pointed out late in the movie, that he doesn't just "represent himself", he is a symbol of progress, and not a crude caricature of the ruthless drug dealer.
The Verdict: Other than the excessive numbers of nude women walking around on camera, American Gangster is pretty much flawless. It is both entertaining and thought-provoking, a rare mix.
Overall Rating: 10/10