American Gangster

I wanted to really like this movie. It has Denzel, Russell Crowe, it's set in the early 1970's, and the soundtrack is terrific. Regretfully, I have to say, my review is mixed. [Unlike the IMDB review, which was favorable.]

We watched the director's cut, not the theatrical version. I always try to watch the director's cut, because I feel like usually they are better, but not always. In this case, having not seen the theatrical release, maybe it was better. It was certainly shorter, I can say.

Denzel and Crowe give their usual excellent performances.

The pacing, though, was off. There were too many scenes that just dragged on, and instead of heightening tension, the scenes made the film sag. A good film script is one in which, in each scene, you "Get in, make your point, and cut" as one of my writing teachers used to say.

Frank Lucas is inarguably a fascinating character. He was a Harlem drug dealer who purportedly shipped pure heroin from Asia in the coffins of dead American soldiers. He sold the heroin on the street with no middleman, and ticked off the Italian mafiosos in New York. He made millions. He got all his 5 brothers into the business. He also got arrested and went to prison, taking down a large number of corrupt cops at the same time.

His nemesis was Richie Roberts, a seemingly honest New York detective, who goes to school to be a lawyer. I didn't really need to see all the drama about his divorce. It didn't advance the story. He was such an unapologetic skirt chaser, it was hard to like him.

Lucas, however, was eminently likeable, for a lot of the film. The point at which he is shown to be a monster is when he shoots a man in the head, right on the street, then goes back into a diner to finish his lunch. His brother stare at him in horror.

I let the kids watch this movie with me, although it got an R rating. There were a couple of points when I had to fast forward thru a brief sex scene, but overall, I think it was good for them to see this. We had a lively discussion about drugs, and dealers, and how it is never OK to do drugs. I think a lot of parents shy away from discussing specifics. My kids speak English as a second language - I wanted them to know what things are called. I wanted them to see the graphic scenes of junkies dying from overdoses. I wanted them to see the brutality of that drug-infested world. I told them a junkie lives a tortured life.

Of course, my kids had alcoholic birthmothers. They know too well what addiction looks like, and how the people around addicts suffer. My son had a furrowed brow and looked much older when we discussed it. I wanted them to understand, though, that an addict starts off with complete innocence, and once they are hooked, then the drug controls them. They are sick, not bad people. I didn't hit that too hard, just mentioned it. (As one recent comment on my other blog reminded me, I need to be careful about not dissing the birth parents, and I try not to ever do that.)

Back to the movie. It was worth watching, particularly if you like gritty dramas. The performances were excellent. I just thought it needed to have been edited more effectively, and some subplots trimmed.

I looked up Lucas and read a bit about him yesterday. He was quite a colorful character. If you want to read more, Google him.

Richie Roberts is now a criminal defense attorney. Yikes.