Epic movie that reveals how a NY drug lord went up and then came down.

Rating: Null/10 (27 April 2008)

An internet search reveals much about the two main characters in this film. They were, and still are, real people whose lives are portrayed fairly accurately in "American Gangster." In one interview Lucas says the movie is about 75% accurate regarding his life. Likewise, Richey Roberts in a different interview cites some discrepancies, but overall the characterizations are correct.
The movie tells the stories of Frank Lucas and Richie Roberts using parallel story lines. Lucas wanting to get rich, and seeing street drugs as the way to do it. Circumventing traditional routes and middlemen, he went directly to SE Asia and bought very pure drugs at the source, and used American servicemen to help him smuggle the drugs into the USA, using special made coffins with concealed bottoms.
While Lucas was developing his business model, Roberts was studying law at night while working as a Detective in New Jersey. Based on his good work he was eventually given the task of heading up a drug squad with the mandate to go only after the big guys. Fate would eventually bring Lucas to Roberts.
This is an extremely good movie. Even though the theatrical version on DVD is about 2 and 1/2 hours long, it never seems long. Denzel Washington a few years ago beat out Crowe for the Best Actor Oscar in "Training Day", an award many thought he did not deserve over Crowe's role in "A Beautiful Mind." But here Washington redeems himself as Frank Lucas. And, that same Russell Crowe is here as Det. Richie Roberts. Both of them are superb.
SPOILERS: The movie follows the historical account pretty well, as Roberts and a squad of police raid Lucas' home and his drug operation, and seize his assets. Lucas went to prison but his sentence was cut short because he cooperated to identify a very large number of men on the NYC police force who were dirty. Roberts became a defense attorney and ironically later defended Frank Lucas in court. He also became the godfather of one of Lucas' sons.