Review: American Gangster
Penguin October 26th, 2007
Rating: 2.5/4 stars
While watching American Gangster, I couldn’t help but think about Scarface. There’s not nearly as much violence or cursing as Scarface, but the story is just as engaging. American Gangster is true story about how Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) takes over the heroin business in Harlem while Richie Roberts (Russel Crowe) tries to catch him.
Ridley Scott has come a long way in terms of his narrative focus. Recently, I watched Blade Runner: Final Cut and Alien and was struck by how long the takes were and just how slow the pacing was. He does an amazing job of paralleling the two character’s lives until their inevitable intersection which isn’t nearly as climactic as it should be. So, after a strong first and second act, the film just kind of fizzles out.
There’s not a lot of violence, but when it happens, it’s raw and gritty. The story is great in its own right, but it’s no Scarface.
Links:
Frank Lucas at Wiki
-Penguin
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