"AMERICAN GANGSTER" REVIEW

'American Gangster': An arresting crime epic

By Claudia Puig, USA TODAY

Some gangsters, like Tony Soprano, are done in by their lusty appetites. Others are stabbed in the back by former associates. A few even get nailed by the authorities. But Denzel Washington's drug kingpin in American Gangster is derailed when he deviates from his sedate fashion sense. His kingdom for a fur coat. Chinchilla, to be precise.
Gangsters are a timeless staple on the big screen. To stand out, this genre film must come up with a new twist on an old story or haunt us with indelible performances. Though it lags in the middle and is at least 15 minutes too long, Gangster is a sprawling, fascinating look into the complicated mind and operations of the head of a crime syndicate and the conflicted emotions and tenacity of a police detective on his trail.

The movie's captivating power hinges on two dead-on performances. Denzel Washington is stellar as Frank Lucas, a former driver for a black crime boss who becomes the inner-city Don Corleone.

With its epic feel and its depiction of Lucas' devotion and loyalty to his family, Gangster echoes The Godfather. Russell Crowe plays Richie Roberts, a professionally principled, but personally troubled police detective who alienates those around him, from his ex-wife (Carla Gugino) to his colleagues on the force. He is derided for being a Boy Scout after turning in a large sum of ill-gotten gains. As a cop who also is studying law, Roberts works to bring down Lucas and his empire.

Director Ridley Scott (reuniting with his Gladiator star Crowe) is back in compelling territory after his dismal attempt at light romance last year with A Good Year, which also starred Crowe.

Gangster is set in the early 1970s in and around New York City, though the saga spans continents. Lucas meticulously oversees his drug-dealing operation from the growth of poppies in Thailand to their conversion in a New York ghetto into a purer brand of heroin. While he ruthlessly builds his drug operation, Lucas also provides amply for his family, buying his mother (a wonderful Ruby Dee) a Tara-like mansion. He attends church services, then casually brutalizes those who cross him. He is all about self-control and tries to school his second in command (an always great Chiwetel Ejiofor) in the ways of his strict business ethic. Lucas breaks one of his own cardinal rules — don't look flashy, be understated — when attending a boxing match. Perhaps love motivates him to drape himself in the ostentatious chinchilla coat and hat given to him by the Puerto Rican beauty queen (Lymari Nadal) he marries. Or maybe it's hubris.

The movie, based on a true story, takes surprising twists and turns right up to its chilling ending and is probably the best gangster crime drama of the year.

American Gangster Trailer