Denzel Washington. Russell Crowe. Ridley Scott. These names are synonymous with box office hits, quality films, award nominations and wins. Unfortunately, in the highly anticipated new film “American Gangster,” this combination does not translate to expert and award-worthy filmmaking; instead it is vapid and disappointing.
The film follows two men, Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) and Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe). Lucas is a brutal, but family-focused gangster who is building his own drug empire. Roberts, a straitlaced cop and troubled family man, is trying to catch Lucas. The film also boasts an ensemble cast, including Carla Gugino, Common, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Josh Brolin and Cuba Gooding Jr., but most of these actors either do not have much screen time or they muddle the storyline, detracting from the two main characters.
The story is long and drawn out. Unlike crime classics like “Heat,” “The Departed” and “The Godfather,” this plot is not effective at bringing any new perspective to the story. Sadly, Scott is actually able to capture the atmosphere of life and times of these characters well, portraying a backdrop of Vietnam, police investigation, African-American culture in the 1960s and 1970s, and the pervasive drug business.
However, the script by Steven Zaillian, Oscar-winning writer of “Schindler’s List,” is full of clichés and uncomplicated characters. The writer cannot determine what kind of story he wants to tell. In fact, “American Gangster” is part drug movie, part cinematic Vietnam social commentary, part cop vs. gangster movie and part police corruption film, but not a good example of any of these subgenres.
The film falls short in pacing as well; it feels even longer than it is. Instead of breaking up drama with action that propels the story, “American Gangster” jumps back and forth between more characters and situations that not only make this film dull, but distract from the conflict of the story.
Alas, some of the major problems lie in the performances of the two stars, Washington and Crowe. Washington seems to be playing a combination of his roles in “Man on Fire” and “Training Day.” There is nothing new to his mostly flat and inconsistent performance.
Crowe delivers one of his worst roles to date. He is the generic troubled cop whose character is undeveloped in a variety of places. Hindered by an already flawed script, Crowe does not elevate his character from mediocrity. There is a potentially interesting storyline at the beginning of the film as Zaillian endeavors to paint Crowe as a bad guy and Washington as a good guy, but ultimately these attempts at depth are quickly abandoned.
This film’s lack of action and long running time make it disappointing; the problem ultimately derives from the muddled story, poor directing and Crowe and Washington’s contrived/clichéd performances. The sad thing about this film is that the writer, director and two actors know how to make good films, but they vastly under-perform.
Unfortunately, this film is not worth your time or money. Solid crime dramas like “The Godfather,” “Heat” and “The Departed” are much more satisfying. American Gangster is rated R for violence, pervasive drug content, language, nudity and sexuality.
