DVD Review: American Gangster
Mafia Drama Comes To DVD, Reviewed By James Luxford
A clash of the titans on paper, three men who have had more hits than Mike Tyson combine to bring us "American Gangster".
In the director’s chair, there’s the Geordie Messiah himself- Ridley Scott. On the screen, two of Hollywood’s biggest stars, previously Oscar rivals, now rivals for the limelight. Denzel Washington naturally needs no introduction. As one of the best actors working today, he’s found a new lease of life on the dark side after winning an Oscar for his baddie turn in “Training Day”. Opposite him is the man he beat for that award: Russell Crowe. Despite some great performances, only “A Beautiful Mind” could really match up to the career-high that was “Gladiator”.
Two Sides To The American Dream
Washington plays Frank Lucas. A driver to one of the most influential crime lords in Harlem who, when his employer dies, begins to build his own drug empire. He models it after a popular business practise: offer a stronger product at a cheaper price and his company even has its own logo: “Blue Magic”. Crowe is Ritchie Roberts, an honest detective struggling to find a place in the corrupt 1970s New York police force. As Lucas ascends to new heights, beating the mafia at their own game, Roberts is recruited to a secret task force to discover the king pin behind the surge of heroin on the streets, and as Roberts gets closer, the two men’s paths start to cross.
Denzel The Bad Guy
Crowe has come under some criticism in this movie for being dull, however nothing could be further from the truth. It’s a great performance, just one that is overshadowed by Washington at every turn. This is not to say one is better than the other, but Washington’s character is far more interesting because he’s bad. Lucas’ path in itself would be enough for a movie. With a stellar supporting crew consisting of Lucas’ family/staff (including British up and comer Chiwetel Ejiofor), he has the more interesting world. Crowe’s character is an interesting comment on the old axiom “nice guys finish last”, but his co-star just has more to work with.
Washington’s menace comes from a very disturbing place. It’s a slow-burning, out-of-nowhere rage that leads to some tremendous scenes. Still Washington plays a slightly watered-down bad guy and is nowhere near his assured performance in “Training Day”. His repeated line of “my man!” is achingly similar to the “my n***a!” catchphrase from “Training Day”, which draws the parallels further.
Mafia Lite
Two brilliant performances are hampered by what is, ultimately, a rather formulaic plot. Anyone who’s seen “Scarface”, “Goodfellas” or indeed any mafia masterpiece you care to mention will see the end coming a mile off. And when compared to the true greats of the genre, “American Gangster” comes up short. Sure, there’s the great acting, interesting cameos (is that Cuba Gooding Jr.?), but really there’s no point where you think “wow I didn’t see that coming”.
Scott himself gives some sublime direction, but without the original story to push things along, this is a very entertaining but slightly familiar crime movie. It is a solid addition to everyone’s filmography, but a flawed one.
