American Gangster

Steven Zaillian's script for this outstanding crime drama gives equal weight to its dueling protagonists, played by extremely well-matched stars who are masterfully directed by Ridley Scott. Denzel Washington portrays real-life Harlem gangster Frank Lucas, who defied both the cops and the Italian mob during the 1970s, when he flooded the ghetto streets with heroin imported directly from Southeast Asia. Russell Crowe plays Frank's nemesis, a fearlessly honest New Jersey cop named Richie Roberts, who headed a special task force charged with bringing Lucas down. Interweaving the stories of the two men, Scott contrasts Frank's steady rise to power with Richie's fumbling attempts to juggle a demanding job and an untidy personal life. The huge cast of supporting players are excellent, especially Oscar nominee Ruby Dee as Frank's mother, Chiwetel Ejiofor as his brother, and Josh Brolin as a corrupt cop, as well as Cuba Gooding Jr. as fellow drug kingpin Nicky Barnes, but in the end American Gangster is a showcase for two of the screen's most charismatic leading men. The action is rugged and at times brutal, but this is no typical urban shoot-‘em-up: the film brilliantly documents an era of excess and overreaching in New York, during which—in the words of one newspaper headline—the federal government famously told the city to “drop dead” after one of its mayors pronounced the Big Apple ungovernable. Highly recommended. [Note: DVD extras on this two-disc set include both the theatrical version and an extended version (with an additional 18 minutes—including an extended ending—that only make the film longer, not better), audio commentary on the theatrical version by director Ridley Scott and writer Steven Zaillian, a 78-minute “Fallen Empire” making-of documentary, a three-part behind-the-scenes “Case Files” featurette (25 min.), and a deleted scene and alternate opening (4 min. total). Bottom line: a fine extras package for one of 2007's better films.] (E. Hulse)[Blu-ray Review—Oct. 14, 2008—Universal, 158 min., R, $29.98—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 2007's American Gangster sports a great transfer and a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack. Blu-ray extras on the disc include both the theatrical version and an extended version (with an additional 18 minutes—including an extended ending—that only make the film longer, not better), audio commentary on the theatrical version by director Ridley Scott and writer Steven Zaillian, a 78-minute “Fallen Empire” making-of documentary, a three-part behind-the-scenes “Case Files” featurette (25 min.), a BET special “making-of” featurette (20 min.), a “Dateline NBC: American Gangster, First Look” featurette (20 min.), a “Hip-hop Infusion” featurette with Common and T.I (5 min.), a deleted scene and alternate opening (4 min. total) and the music videos “Blue Magic” by Jay-Z and “Do You Feel Me” by Anthony Hamilton. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a picture-in-picture track featuring interactive cast and crew interviews and behind-the-scenes footage viewable during the film. Bottom line: a fine BD release of Scott's contemporary gangster classic.]