Immensely Satisfying Crime Film

Rating: 10/10 (24 February 2014)

Movies like these can't work without the right cast. I mean, I shouldn't even have to say that. It's a rule. There are plenty of different kinds of movies that can get by on style, visuals, or action all on their own. But what separates a movie like "Gangster Squad" from a movie like "American Gangster" is the cast, and how the cast is used. It has to be both.
There are lots of familiar faces in this film. On top of Washington and Crowe, you have Chiwetel Ejiofor, Idris Elba and Josh Brolin. The director is Ridley Scott, a man who knows how to helm ambitious projects, like "Black Hawk Down", "Gladiator" and "Kingdom of Heaven". The pieces are all there.
One of "American Gangster"'s biggest strengths is that there is a rich cast of characters, but the viewer is never lost, because the focus is primarily on Denzel Washington's Frank Lucas, and Russell Crowe's Richie Roberts. They carry the film, as they certainly should.
The plot is centred around a lengthy crusade by Roberts and his team to get to the bottom of New York's biggest drug conspiracy, which is of course being controlled by Lucas. This is a major theme regarding Lucas; he likes to be in control, to be able to gun down a man he doesn't like in the middle of a crowded sidewalk without any consequences. As a result, this makes his character seem all the more vulnerable when he isn't in total control of his situation.
At the same time, Roberts is fighting more than just drug crime. He isn't the most honest guy, but he just might be the most honest cop. He is repulsed by crooked cops, and as a result he estranges himself from most of his workplace kin. So, as he fights to nail down the source of the drugs, he is also fighting against everyone who considered him a "boy scout" whenever he did what he felt was right.
Everything comes together in a conclusion that rewards anyone who takes the time to savour every moment of the film's 160 minutes. I rank this among the finest crime dramas I've watched.