American Gangster

***1/2 Stars

"My man..."

Denzel Washington is nothin' but cool as he grins and says these words to anybody who impresses him, cops or dealers. American Gangster is brilliantly acted, wonderfully told, and definitely the work of a master.

The film had a lot of trouble getting to the big screen. Antoine Fuqua, (director of Training Day) was originally set to direct with Washington to star. The film was cancelled due to budget concerns, Fuqua was fired, and Denzel took a 20$ million paycheck. Soon after, it turned up into the hands of director Ridley Scott and producer Brian Grazer, with Denzel back in the lead and another 20$ million. Russell Crowe joined the cast and the dynamic foursome would eventually turn in a dynamite of a crime-thriller.

This is the true story of drug-lord Frank Lucas and how New Jersey honest cop Richie Richards (Crowe) took him down. The very first shot of the movie is Lucas doing his job. He tortures a man, covers him in gasoline, lights him on fire and puts numerous bullets into his head. We don't know who this man is or what he did, but now we know Lucas is a man you don't mess with...period.

After Lucas finally gets settled into the mob boss persona, things shift towards Roberts. His wife leaves him with their only son, his partner dies, and he has sex with a lot of women. Good for him. Him and his wife go to court for custody of their child, but of course Roberts has to have a sudden epiphany that he's a bad father when his ex-wife tells him he belongs in hell. Again, good for him. So all in all, Roberts is an extremely honest cop, but yet can't be honest with the people he loves.

The movie is so authentic to its time that the film looks like it was made in the same time it takes place, right smack in the middle of the Vietnam War. Scott swiftly connects the war to Lucas. In the beginning, Lucas is in control and calm. When the war goes crazy, so does Lucas. When the cease fire occurs, Lucas begins to lose his drug connections from military officials stationed in Bangkok. Washington captures his character perfectly, giving a restrained performance to begin the film, then showing his emotional downfall without being pretentious.

The movie is all drugs. DRUGS, DRUGS, DRUGS. It doesn't lose its historical accuracy for cheap thrills, especially the ending. Though un-climatic, it has a much bigger impact when you see Lucas's aged face coming out of a fifteen year sentence.

By the way, I just have to add that Cuba Gooding Jr. is in about three scenes of the film, and it's better than any performance he's had in ten years. (So, Jerry Maguire)