No matter how much trouble they have to put up with, there is often nothing better than a good gangster movie. Gangsters are some of the most captivating characters in America, partly because they seem so typically American.
If you are looking for a great gangster epic and have already checked out The Irishmanyou might want to spend some time with American Gangster. The film is a loose adaptation of the true story of Frank Lucas, a gangster active in the 1970s who smuggled heroin on American service aircraft returning to the United States from Vietnam. While chronicling Lucas’ exploits, it also tells the story of the police officer determined to bring him down.
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It features a great cast of all time
American Gangster was sold at the time on the strength of its two leads, and that makes perfect sense. Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington were two of the biggest stars in the world and remain two of the best actors of their generation. Once you get past those two leads, however, you’ll find that the cast list is chock full of interesting actors.
Josh Brolin, Carla Gugino, Idris Elba, Norman Reedus and John Ortiz all play major roles in this nearly three-hour epic, and since the film is so long, they all get something to do.
Directed by one of Hollywood’s most confident minds
American Gangster It was directed by Ridley Scott, and there are few directors in Hollywood history who are capable of making great films. It is true that Scott does not create a masterpiece every time he sets to work, but American Gangster is one of his best films, and that’s partly because Scott knows when to get out of his own way.
He’s never been a flashy director, and Scott knows that his talent and eye for scene construction allow him to avoid doing anything too stylistic. He lets the story speak for itself.
It is loosely based on a true story
Sometimes it makes sense to stick as close to the facts of real life as possible. But more often than not, it makes more sense for Hollywood to deviate from actual events in order to tell the most convincing version of the story possible.
American Gangster is inspired by the true story of Frank Lucas, a drug smuggler who used American service aircraft to smuggle heroin into the country from Vietnam. However, the film makes the important decision to take some liberties with its story, meaning the film is as interesting as possible without being weighed down by the details of what actually happened.
American Gangster will be streamed on Netflix.
