AMERICAN GANGSTER NEEDS TO BE WHACKED"This is my home. This is where my business is, my wife, my mother, my family. This is my country, I ain't goin' nowhere." This is Frank Lucas' (Denzel Washington) world and we're just living in it. This is after his rise from errand boy for an infamous heroin dealer to replacing that man and crowning himself the new king. Not only did he call it, he demanded it and those who got in the way were "moved" to a more permanent out of the way place. As Lucas is on the rise, Detective/wanna be lawyer, Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) isn't. This is due in part to his drive to become an attorney and crossing the 't's and dotting the 'i's which doesn't sit well for his less scrupulous colleagues. Roberts is obsessed during his downward spiral while Lucas is reveling the high life. Lucas is the true OG (original gangster). Based on a true story, the 2 disc release shows you both men as they helped the movie's production. The theatrical version is 236 minutes. The un-cut version is 255 minutes. Even with the editing, this movie is still too long. It is slick, looks great, but maybe too great. Washington and Crowe are both incredible actors. Why it didn't translate, I don't know. This film was a walking corpse, the body intact but no heart, no soul. Their performances as real life men may be dead on, but their impersonations were lifeless. All the ingredients were there, just not mixed to the right consistency. It was interesting to watch, but not enough for me to recommend it.
NOT a pick: Too long and no energy; a huge waste of talented actors
