American Gangster, a fun watch

"That's a very, very nice suit," says Chiwetel Ejiofor, as Huey Lucas. His elder brother Frank repeats the line, adding a question mark at the end. Huey agrees, smug in his sharply-tailored togs, only to have big brother tick him off, hard: "That's a clown suit. That's a costume, with a big sign on it that says "Arrest me". You understand? You're too loud; you're making too much noise. Listen to me, the loudest one in the room is the weakest one in the room."

It is with this understated efficacy that Frank Lucas, played by Denzel Washington, has built up his position of strength. The real-life heroin kingpin believed in carefully cultivating a modest lifestyle, to keep doubts at bay. But what's a gangster's life without at least the occasional indulgence? So Lucas dons fur and goes to see Mohammed Ali box, hobnobbing showily with the rest of the gangsters.

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The same night, Detective Richie Roberts is quick to spot that Lucas, a relative unknown, has better seats than the Italian mafia. Roberts, played by Russell Crowe, digs deeper into Lucas and finds himself a nemesis. And director Ridley Scott latches on, to give us an extremely compelling -- and factual -- cat-and-mouse tale.

Is it a great film? On paper, sure. It has every single ingredient for a classic gangster movie: terrific characters; a true story; tightly scripted lines; an interesting narrative. Yet American Gangster falls several notches short of greatness. It's a strong, well-made film, but while engaging, it's more than a trifle over-long and there is a tragic air of seen-that to the proceedings.

Denzel Washington has the script's finest role, that of Frank Lucas, a hardcore villain who doesn't believe in taking too many prisoners and does whatever it takes to get the job done. Washington does reliably well, handling the role deftly, with his characteristic style. Yet it isn't a performance that surprises us.

Crowe outshines Washington despite having the trickier role. His character, a cop jeered at by his peers for turning in a million dollars to the precinct instead of pocketing it, is a flawed, struggling character with the kind of professional morality cliches are made of. Crowe rises to the occasion and does very strongly, grounding the film in believability.

The supporting cast is very good indeed, notably Josh Brolin, Ejiofor, Armand Assante and Cuba Gooding Jr.

Thematically, it is a very interesting conflict: a gangster villain who works in a scrupulously ethical manner, contrasted opposite a staunchly idealistic cop who just happens to be a womaniser with a failed-marriage behind him. Scott does well and handles the story very efficiently, but there is always the feeling that he could have (should have) overreached. It's a fun watch, but it could have been more, Mr Director. My man.

Rediff Rating: