This time Washington and Crowe set the screen (and the box office) alight

Rating: 10/10 (8 December 2007)

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning
The true story of Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington), former driver for Harlem kingpin 'Bumpy' Johnson, who after the old man's death uses the things he learned from him over the years to start up his own heroin empire along with his friends and family. He eventually comes to control 1970s NYC with absolute power, until Det. Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) gets on his case. One honest cop in a department full of corrupt officers who are themselves embroiled in the drugs game, from selling it themselves to using it themselves.
Twelve years ago, when Denzel was already a big star but Crowe was just a starting out Kiwi actor, they appeared together in Virtuosity, a sci-fi action film that tanked at the US box office and became one of the most high profile straight to video films ever in the UK. But all this while later, the acclaimed Ridley Scott has reunited them for this explosive real life gangster film with much more successful results. And, though they share virtually no screen time together, between them they keep the boat floating marvellously here.
The star of the show, though, is Denzel. My favourite black actor, he reliably sets the screen alight here. He's delivered some of his best work when he does intense, power-house kind of roles, but as Lucas, he turns in a much more restrained performance, a cool, calm, calculating psychopath who shocks you by punching a man and then slamming the top of a piano into his head but somehow manages to be just as un-nerving knocking a cup of coffee across a room after describing how police officers tortured and killed his brother when he was younger. In the supporting role as the good guy, it has to be said, Crowe is less effective, not turning in a bad performance, just nothing to write home about, especially compared to Denzel. Still, the film does a great job of juxtaposing two men, on opposite sides of the law but also on different sides of morality, Denzel's character a man with a dishonest and evil trade but who never forgets his roots and looks after his family, Crowe's a good cop but an absent father and shameless skirt chaser.
Scott has done a great job of bringing NYC to life as it (apparently) was in the early 70s, a grimy, unappealing sh!thole, a million miles away from the trendy, Central Perky look it has today. He allows his story to develop, and moves it along nicely with a neat list of supporting actors, as well as a cool, funky 70s soundtrack through-out.
Everything pays off quite marvellously here. It's taken a while to arrive, but as the film year draws to a close, one of the best chugs along just in time. *****