A crime drama in the mold of classic gangster epics

Rating: 8/10 (11 November 2007)

This may contain plot spoilers, so heads up.
Denzel Washington shines as Frank Lucas, a man who establishes himself as a crime lord in Harlem, in the same league as the Mafia. He uses connections and fortifies his empire using family members, all the while attempting to be true to the spirit of his predecessor. He is a cool character who is not above violent means to achieve his goals. The film does not try to avoid the criminal aspect of the character, but displays all the human elements - from loving to detestable.
Meanwhile, a New Jersey cop named Richie Roberts , portrayed by Russell Crowe, becomes an outsider to his police brethren by attacking corruption whenever he encounters it. Despite this moral stance, his social life is a series of affairs, a broken marriage, and a variable relationship with his son. Due to his outsider status, Roberts is inevitably drawn into a anti-drug task force.
Lucas is a man who competes on the heroin market, but is also challenged by the Mafia, including one played (not surprisingly) by Armand Assante, who had played John Gotti in the film biography, 'Gotti'. Josh Brolin stands out as a seedy, thoroughly corrupt NYC police investigator who tangles with Lucas. Roberts is tied to the crime syndicate by virtue of having graduated with a member, but still imposes a barrier to ward off corruption.
A number of familiar character actors fill other significant roles, including Cuba Gooding Jr., Joe Morton, John Hawkes, and Ted Levine as Crowe's immediate supervisor. Ruby Dee has a worthy role as Frank's mother, who seems to be unaware of her son's activities, but is actually quite observant. Crowe is quite believable in his role, but his accent varies between NYC and Australia. He has yet to match the cop effort he gave in 'L.A. Confidential'. Like his character, Washington commands in his portrayal of a gentleman gangster.
Both leads share the same irony in character, flawed humans with ethics about remaining true to themselves. "American Gangster" is not the 'Godfather' or 'Goodfellas', but is a well-mounted effort based on a true story written in an article about Frank Lucas. Ridley Scott direction eschews his crisp, shining cinematography for a more realistic portrayal. Even the large Lucas family scenes are not over stylized in their brightness.
The movie covers a quarter of a century following the saga of Frank Lucas, and Crowe's involvement. Lucas' empire is spearheaded in the late 1960s by the drug abuse he hears from Vietnam news reports. Bangkok, Thailand figures into this period as the source. What ironically, is a cash crop overseas provides an illegal, higher quality and competitive cash source for Lucas. Adding to the irony, Lucas provides his family the fruits of his success, albeit at the cost of his fellow man in Harlem. He is also an outsider among other crime families and organizations, like Crowe is in the police force.
If you're interested, bring some snacks and a beverage as it's nearly 2 hours and 40 minutes. However, it's a worthy film that draws your attention over the epic viewing time.