A cross between The Godfather and The Departed...

Rating: 8/10 (7 January 2008)

A cross between The Godfather and The Departed, American Gangster is set in the East Coast in the '70s and based on the true story of how Detective Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) brought down the low-profile heroin kingpin from Harlem Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington). While both men lay on opposite sides of the law and are notoriously flawed, they uncannily share a rigorous work ethic, enabling them to later conspire against something bigger than themselves.
The opening scene immediately establishes Lucas as a cool and collected gentleman from North Carolina who can get scary when angry. Meanwhile, Roberts is a scruffy but honest cop who is battling with his hostile wife for child custody while he goes to law school.
Both Oscar winners turn in award-worthy performances once more, but it is Crowe who most consistently and easily transforms into his character. He is an imperfect hero who buys dishonesty with honesty. His dedication despite his shortcomings makes the viewer relate to and root for him, even when Lucas tempts him: "Would you do it again, return US$1M in unmarked bills?" American Gangster gives hope that police corruption and widespread drug trafficking can be stopped even by the sometimes morally deficient. The message comes across clear with director Ridley Scott's compelling visuals, with crisp contrasts in montages reminiscent of The Godfather. Such deft cinematography could sometimes eclipse the dialogue, which contributes its fair share of memorable quotes.
A parallelism with the Italian mafia's affinity for family is evident when Lucas tells his siblings, "The most important thing in business is honesty, integrity, hard work... family... never forgetting where we came from," and again when Lucas scolds his brother Huey for wearing an attention-getting suit, "The loudest one in the room is the weakest one in the room!" Lucas' drive to deliver his product at all costs threatens his downfall, when he refuses to heed his Thai drug supplier's strangely wise advice: "It's not in my best interest to say this Frank, but quitting while you're ahead, is not the same as quitting." This biopic doesn't bombard the audience with gore it could easily get away with but instead it allows for thought-provoking moments, such as one launched by Lucas: will putting the bad guy behind bars really change anything? Roberts' gritty retort: "You represent progress, that's why they hate you. Success has enemies; be unsuccessful and have friends."