The state of the American box office lately straddles the line between tragic and unfortunate. Besides the Bourne Ultimatum, Transformers and Disturbia this year’s releases were–ahem, dare I say it–crappy and uninspired.

And so for much of 2007, I gave up on seeing movies in the theater. DVD’s were cheaper and more convenient, plus spared me from the hordes of whack-a-dus treating a darkened room with reclining seats as if they were watching the Super Bowl on a La-Z-Boy in their living room. Hence the paucity of movie reviews this year.
I set this malaise aside for American Gangster and was not only entertained, I was wowed.

Frank Lucas, a criminal mastermind who came to power at the tail end of the Vietnam War smuggling pure heroin from the Far East and unloaded smack twice as pure as the competition on the streets of Harlem. He made a lot of money, wrecked countless lives, and eventually spent 15 years in a federal prison, turning State’s evidence against former cronies.

But Frank Lucas was also a momma’s boy, who attended church every Sunday with his family, and handed out turkeys at the Holidays. He bought his mother a house the size of a football field and ran with dignitaries and sports legends. Plus his Momma chewed him out in front of other people.

Richie Roberts, a detective no one would work with because he ignored conventional wisdom on tracking the flow of narcotics. If there was anyone who could take down a drug dealer above the Mafia, it was his team. The work took a toll on his private life; he was an absent husband and father. These were complex men on a collision course. Which makes a film based on true events of his life so interesting.What works about American Gangster:

1) Casting. Absolutely critical. If it was anyone but Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, this movie would not work as well.

2) Pacing. Never a dull moment.

3) Story Arc. Though the director takes liberties with actual events, the dramatic license pays out handsomely. The conflict sizzles on the screen.

Recommendation: If you like crime movies, this is a must, plus own on DVD.