The best way to begin this review is to admit that I don’t particularly care for Russell Crowe all that much, I don’t think he’s a bad actor or anything, I just don’t get what the big deal is, (it might have something to do with my lack of a vagina) but despite that, I had high hopes for American Gangster, (as I said) Crowe isn’t a bad actor by any means, add to that an impeccable supporting cast and you have the makings for a great movie. Not only was American Gangster a great film, but Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe gave performances befitting two major box office draws working together on a single project.
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The story of the film moved between the two characters (and their very separate lives) effortlessly, giving the viewer everything they needed in order to truly understand both men. While Russell Crowes character (Richie Roberts) was the ‘good guy’, he wasn’t the ‘white hat’ Elliot Ness type one might have expected from a Hollywood rendition of true events, Crowe plays a flawed but genuine man who is trying desperately not to let his life as an officer spin out of control and hurt the ones he loves. While he is set up as Washington’s (Frank Lucas) nemesis, the two men are presented as just as much victims of poor timing and circumstance then they are opposites sides of the same coin, instead the dynamic between the two, and how they cross paths is a form of social commentary in and of itself.
People who see this movie hopefully will appreciate the subtle aspects of the various characters and situations depicted in this film; they should be rewarded with several compelling character studies as well as a very balanced take on a specific era in American culture. The life of Frank Lucas wasn’t exactly romanticized in my opinion even if certain events were changed for the film to add drama. At no time did I feel that Lucas’ life was being glorified, instead what I got was a chilling segment of New York’s history of Organized crime.
The film moved along at a comfortable pace, and was excellent in the way it gave information about the various characters, often times taking hard or ‘bad’ characters and introducing them to the story from a unique perspective forcing the view to reserve judgment about the individuals they meet in the film, that effort also speaks to the innate humanity that resides inside all of us, from people who take the straight and narrow, to those who choose a more dangerous path in life, this film provides a unifying quality that makes the film easier to understand, relate to, and ultimately enjoy. Along those same lines, the cast selection should bring a widely diverse audience to the theater, aside from Washington and Crowe the Hip Hop community is fully represented in this film, with convincing performances for MC’s Common and T.I. playing as Lucas’ close family member’s and confidants.
I could go on and on about how excellent American Gangster is, but in the end the best advice is to strongly urge you to go out and see this film, Denzel Washington found away to top his performances from movies like Training Day, and Man on Fire, and Russell Crowe proves to be a tremendous asset to the film, when it’s over you’ll feel like they couldn’t have found a better actor or actress for any of the roles, this is easily one of the year’s best films.
