American Gangster ~

'Mesmerizing.' That's the first word that continues to pop into this reviewer's head whenever he thinks of the film American Gangster. The secondthought that continuesto invade his humble little mind is 'one taut script'-- yes, even at atwo hour and thirty-seven minute running time.

At first glance the film seems very familiar in its subject matter, and indeed it is: a devoted driver for a deceased crime boss becomes a major drug lord, and a flawed but ultra honest police officer works to find out who the new mysterious drug lord is and bring him to justice.

But it's the director Ridley Scott, actors Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe among a very solid cast, and perhaps most importantly, writer Steven Zaillian who subtly weave a strong fabric of subtext into the piece to create a whole that is truly the sum of its multitudinous parts. Material that may seem a bit clichéd on the surface is deeper and murkier than one might expect. Steven Zaillian is one of Hollywood's best and brightest writers and it was a pleasure to watch his work unfold on the screen. He deserves recognition for his screenplay and just may receive it in the form of an Oscar nomination.

I've heard this film compared to the likes of Scarface and this, it seems to me, is ridiculous. Whereas Scarface was a loud, gory comic book of a film (which is fine on its own terms), American Gangster is intelligent and quite seductive. If you've ever wondered what could possibly draw someone to a cold-blooded, calculating thug, you need look no further than Denzel Washington's portrayal of real-life criminal Frank Lucas.

Some have said the film's take on him sends a wrong message to viewers, especially young, impressionable ones, but in truth it realistically attempts to answer a question concerning the magnetic draw that the likes of a Frank Lucas can have on those around him. With this type of portrayal, Ridley Scott & team have managed to stay away from the Martin Scorsese gangster film model which has become the standard. The work Scorsese has done within this genre over the years has been grand, but American Gangster brings with it a refreshing, engaging and somewhat flirtatious point of view.

That said, the character of Lucas certainly has his flaws (though he tries to keep any weakness from sight) and it's quite interesting to watch his various layers peel away as the piece progresses. In comparison, Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) is an honest, no nonsense cop who certainly believes in good & right, but likewise struggles with his own weaknesses, albeit in a more transparent manner. And unlike Lucas, Roberts sees his flaws all too easily and ultimately judges himself, something Lucas would generally be too self absorbed to do.

There have been what I would call wrong-headed complaints that the two big stars never have a moment together until the end of the picture. That they do not share a scene together until the end is true. However, as Mr. Zaillian writes it, this is as it should be. If one can shed that desire to see the two men butt heads earlier and more often, it is actually much more intriguing to watch the character of Roberts working quietly behind the scenes trying to set a trap for the mouse while the mouse barely notices that attention is being paid to him by this seemingly little man. And when the two do finally share that scene it is a moment of substance, which is quite different than a film like Heat, in which the big scene sharing moments of Robert De Niro and Al Pacino were little more than cheap bravado. (Sorry, Heat fans, but them's pretty much the facts.)

American Gangster is a film worth seeing. It's not stuffed with action or false machismo; it's simply engaging. That in itself is refreshing and worthy of merit.

Rev: 11-16-2007