Scott misses modern mafia masterpiece

Frank Lucas went from rags to riches, believed in honesty, integrity, hard work and family. Lucas sounds like the definition of the American Dream, but he really was an “American Gangster.” Director Ridley Scott tells the captivating, real-life exploits of former drug czar Lucas in “American Gangster” and his rise and eventual fall from power in the early 1970s.

The movie continues America’s fascination with the Mafia and follows the mold of other classic mob movies such as “The Godfather,” “Scarface” and “The Departed,” switching from slow, to captivating, then to thrilling and in the end good. But “American Gangster” is not quite as great as the aforementioned Mafia classics.

Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War Denzel Washington stars as Lucas, a black mobster, who rises from nothing to become the drug kingpin of New York City after the death of his boss and mentor. Lucas finds a source of heroin in Southeast Asia and using an unlikely and unaware transportation service, the U.S. Army, Lucas with the help of a “relative” in the Army, transports heroin from Southeast Asia back to the U.S. in the coffins of American servicemen killed in Vietnam. Lucas is successful for many years amassing money and influence under the radar but eventually catches the attention of authorities. Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe), an honest New Jersey police detective, heads a federal drug task force to take down Lucas. Roberts assembles his own group of “Untouchables” and in the end takes down Lucas.

Washington brings his usual towering presence to the big screen, playing the calculating and violent Lucas, who at one moment seems calm and collected but like a light switch can turn violent. At one point Lucas goes from a family man having breakfast with his brothers in a New York diner to a ruthless killer in a matter of seconds, shooting a competitor in the middle of the street in broad daylight.

Crowe is Eliot Ness to Washington’s Al Capone, perfectly portraying the honest cop whose personal life is in shambles. After seeing the movie one wishes there was more interaction between Crowe and Washington besides the film’s final minutes. “American Gangster” tells the story of Lucas and Roberts’ pursuit of him separately, isolating two actors who are on top of their games for much of the film.

A standout supporting role comes from Josh Brolin, playing a corrupt New York detective, who believes he should get a cut of all the drug money in the city. Armand Assante and Cuba Gooding Jr. round out some of the bigger names in the large supporting cast.

Another good performance does not come from an actor, but from director Scott, who successfully sets the movie in the 1970s giving the film the cool and tough feel while adding the flare of the era.

While “American Gangster” is good and entertaining it falls short of being in the same class as other classics such as “The Godfather” or “Scarface.”

The film is incredibly long at 157 minutes, but even with this long runtime the movie, at times, feels rushed. There are some holes in the plot which could leave audiences confused and characters are introduced that are underdeveloped leaving one wondering why they are there in the first place. “American Gangster” also attempts to tell the story of Roberts’ battle with his wife about the custody of their child, taking up time that could be better spent elsewhere, and does not serve any real purpose in telling the story of Lucas or Roberts.

Overall “American Gangster” is worthy of all the hype it has received and is a solid addition to the mob movie genre.

“American Gangster” will be in theaters Friday.

David McNeely can be reached at [email protected].