SO-SO-FELLAS : Ridley Scott’s ‘American Gangster’ [5/10] : [for Tribune]

Published on: November 11th, 2007

American Gangster
USA 2007
Starring : Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe
Director : Ridley Scott
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FEW recent Hollywood productions have had so 'troubled' a history as ambitious crime-saga American Gangster, which at various stages over the past half-decade was supposed to be directed by Brian De Palma, then Antoine Fuqua (Training Day), then Terry George (Hotel Rwanda) – before ending up under the auspices of the ever-erratic Ridley Scott (in the wake of disastrous "comedy" A Good Year.) This was all forgotten, however, when the film scored a crackerjack opening-weekend at North American box-offices, many observers suggesting that Scott might, at his fourth attempt, win the Best Director Oscar – although, as with Martin Scorsese's The Departed, it would ironic indeed to be so honoured for such an undeserving movie.

On paper, American Gangster has the makings of a 21st-century epic: 156-minute running-time; charismatic leads; top-drawer crew. And the plot (loosely based on Mark Jacobson's lengthy magazine-article) is packed with potential and incident as we follow the career of 1970s Harlem's most successful drug-lord crime-kingpin, Frank Lucas (Washington). We're shown how he deployed sharp business acumen to conquer an institutionally-racist drug-industry dominated by strongly-entrenched (white) players, and how he was eventually brought to justice via the dogged diligence of uncorruptable cop Richie Roberts (Crowe).

On film, however, and despite Washington's commandingly-charismatic best efforts, American Gangster keeps falling flat: Crowe is miscast, and Steven Zaillian's screenplay, though by no means without incidental pleasures, never coheres into a properly propulsive narrative. As he blunders around the kind of thematic and/or geographical terrain previously traversed by Scorsese (GoodFellas), Coppola (The Godfather) De Palma (Carlito's Way) and Mann (Heat), Scott's basic directorial limitations become increasingly apparent – likewise his evident lack of 'feel' for the sprawling material. And there's ample time for us to be distracted by the countless, careless errors of period-detail, from the glaringly anachronistic graffiti to the way the characters' hair, clothes and makeup never look quite right. Only in the last half hour or so – when the full oppportunistic audacity of Lucas's schemes becomes apparent – do things really start to pick up. But by then it's much too little, much too late.

Neil Young
written for the next issue of Tribune magazine

AMERICAN GANGSTER : [5/10] : USA 07 : Ridley SCOTT : 157 mins (BBFC)
seen at Vue cinema, Leicester : 6th Oct : press show (Cinemadays event)