Loosely based on the criminal career of Frank Lucas, a gangster from La Grange, North Carolina, who smuggled heroin into the United States on American service planes returning from the Vietnam War, before being detained by a task force led by Newark Detective Richie Roberts.
"There are two sides to the American dream."
Quite a disappointed since it is really as much as you expect, but nothing new.
Washington and Russell perform really well, so, as a characters movie, it works. It doesn't work at all as a biopic. Too much Hollywood on it....
A thoroughly entertaining 157 minutes!
<em>'American Gangster'</em> delivers in every area it needs to. Enthralling premise, immaculate music, phenomenal casting and great pacing. I was surprised slightly with how it finishes, but it's far and away from a disappointing/underwhelming conclusion.
Not much really needs to be said about Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. They're exactly how you'd expect them to be, outstanding! Washington is fantastic as Frank, while Crowe is superb as Richie. You have to wait a while for their proper screen time together, but it's worth the time it takes....
Denzel Washington is on top-form here as he takes on the role of the unscrupulous and devious heroine importer "Lucas" in this superior crime drama. Following the death of his boss, he spots an opening in New York's drugs market which he deftly exploits by importing top grade product directly from Thailand and he sells his "Blue Magic" cut-rate to an increasingly willing population. Largely insulated from risk by his very profitable links with organised crime, it falls to "Richie Roberts" (Russell Crowe) to head up a narcotics task force charged with stopping this lucrative trade that has made...
Love gangster movies. Denzel Washington's one of the best to ever do it....
For me, this is one of the classic must-watch gangster movies and up there with the Godfather, Donnie Brasco, Goodfellas and Scarface. It shows the rise and fall of the black drug smuggler and seller Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) and the policeman (Russel Crow) trying to catch him. The plot takes place in the late 60s and early 70s, far away from the 90s and 00s where gold teeth, gold chains, sagged pants and hip hop dominated black culture. This makes the movie feel more serious and shows a more "civilized" black gangster life. Both Washington and Crow deliver great performances and the sc...