Frank Lucas lived the American dream. Lucas grew up in the tough streets of New York, served as an apprentice in a profitable trade, put forth the necessary effort, persistence and sacrifice to turn him into a thriving entrepreneur. Unfortunately this business was the drug trade.
Lucas's story is told through the eyes of director Ridley Scott in the gritty, rough and realistic drama AMERICAN GANGSTER. Denzel Washington plays the aforementioned Lucas, a bright-eyed youngster from Manhattan who grew up under the tutelage of drug kingpin Bumpy Johnson. Following Johnson's death, a vacancy opened in Manhattan's drug world, and Lucas took full advantage of the opportunity.
While Lucas was gradually building his business from the ground up, including personal visits to Vietnam to obtain his product, Detective Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) was having a tough time of his own as one of New York City's finest. Although Roberts struggled with marital honesty, he never strayed from integrity in his profession. On the outs with fellow officers, due to his high moral stature, and inability to turn the other cheek, Roberts found himself in charge of mounting a case against Lucas.
Much of AMERICAN GANGSTER operates with the two acting titans apart from one another. Part of Scott's task is to show the two men in their own worlds, contrast their trades, and then show how each trade mirrors the other in many facets. Lucas is the more interesting of the two, and Scott tackles the drug trade both logistically and sensationally. The day to day grunt work that Lucas often handles helps to display the hard work and good business sense that Lucas exhibited. The sensational side is displayed when Lucas, often times in a calculated manner, must flex his proverbial muscles. As he did in TRAINING DAY, Washington shows that he's as good at being bad as he is playing the hero. Intensity is a strong suit in all of Washington's performances, and again serves him well.
Crowe is also very good, but in a much less showy role. In the midst of a divorce, Roberts is failing in his personal life, specifically with infidelity, but still stays on high moral ground with the force. If Washington's performance demanded intensity, Crowe's demands focus. Much like mathematician John Nash from A BEAUTIFUL MIND, Crowe's Roberts is always adding variables and possibilities to situations that arise, or may arise, concerning his case. Without utilizing dialogue, Crowe is able to convey Roberts' intentions. Watching the wheels churn within Roberts is a credit to Crowe's acting prowess.
After much build-up, suspense and cat and mouse games, AMERICAN GANGSTER finally delivers what everyone has come to see, Washington and Crowe, mono y mono. The exchange between the two is classic, and amounts to one of the more memorable toe to toe confrontations seen in recent cinema. The last great meeting between acting icons I can recall was between Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino in HEAT. Much like that encounter, Washington and Crowe deliver a tenacious and intelligent discussion, revealing their characters motivations, cleverness and persuasiveness.
AMERICAN GANGSTER is an authentic piece of Americana, even if it's one our country would rather forget.
Grade: B
AMERICAN GANGSTER becomes available on DVD and HD DVD on Tuesday, February 19th.
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