I went out to see American Gangster last night. It’s a 2-hour, 40-minute crime drama based on a true story, but you don’t really notice the time. For a movie this long, the story actually keeps moving pretty well.
It chronicles Frank Lucas’ (Denzel Washington) rise in the 1970s Harlem heroin trade, as well as the story of the cop who eventually took him down – Richie Roberts (played by Russell Crowe). Though they do their best to not glamorize his character, I did find myself rooting for Frank Lucas as he builds his organization, surrounds himself and takes care of his family, takes on thugs, the Italian Mafia, and corrupt cops. Frank Lucas is in part portrayed a capitalist and entrepreneur – he builds a business by selling a higher-quality product at a lower price than his competitors. He seeks out the supply channels, he builds the brand. He dresses and acts like a businessman while many of his competitors such as Nick Barnes (played by Cuba Gooding, Jr.) dress and act like pimps and thugs.
Richie Roberts, on the other hand, is a character not lacking flaws. But he is undoubtedly the good guy in this picture – he is apparently the only honest cop in a sea of corrupt ones, attending night school to get his law degree. He eventually gets assigned to a special drug task force and eventually begins the hunt for guy behind “Blue Magic”. It is initially unknown who is supplying the ultra-pure heroin that is killing hundreds, but his team’s investigation eventually leads Richie Roberts to Frank Lucas.
I’ll leave the synopsis here, for fear of giving away the entire story. Go see it.
