BOTTOM
LINE:
Well
constructed, well-filmed, realistic portrayal of the rise and fall
of New York gangster Frank Lucas.
THE
GOOD: Being
a Ridley Scott film, you are assured of a high quality experience
and he delivers yet again. The visuals are top notch with music,
sound and editing all first rate and put you in the picture very
quickly. Surprisingly for a gangster flick, the film is a rather
intelligent and restrained piece of work. Denzel Washington gives
a commanding yet controlled performance as Frank Lucas, easily one
of the best of his career. When Frank does the business, he's ruthless,
yet he's also well thought, saying how he has to keep as low a profile
as possible to avoid drawing attention to himself (a good scene
where he throws a mink coat in to the fire after it almost gets
him assasinated by rival mobsters was a strong scene and showed
a very different gangster). Russell Crowe also delivers a restrained
performance, as the honest but flawed Richie Roberts, the cop who
eventually brings Frank's empire to an end. The film almost has
a documentary quality to it, not highlighting big dramatic moments
in either men's careers, rather just showing how it all went down
in a very realistic fashion.
