American Gangster (2007)

Director: Ridley Scott
Writers: Steven Zaillian, Marc Jacobson
Starring: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Josh Brolin, Rimarie Nada, Ted Levine, Roger Guervin Smith, John Hawkes / Robert Fitzgerald Diggs / Yul Vasquez / Malcolm Goodwin / Ruby Dee / Ruben Santiago-Hudson / Carla Gugino / Skyler Fort Gang
Genre: Drama / Crime
Region: US / UK
Language: English/Thai/Spanish
Released: 2007-11-02 (USA)
Runtime: 157 minutes / 176 minutes (unrated version)
Also known as: Criminal Empire (Hong Kong) / American Bandits
Rating: IMDB 7.8 / Rotten Tomatoes 81%

Movie Synopsis
In the 1970s, in the black district of Harlem, Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) was the driver of the gang boss Johnson. After Johnson’s sudden death, Frank made full use of this hard-won opportunity to reorganize the distribution of all rights in the underground world, successfully ascended to the top, took over the business of the big boss, and took control of the drug trade. During this period, he went to the Golden Triangle of Southeast Asia to smuggle high-purity heroin, recruited his own family brothers, and assembled a group of men who worked hard for him, and a dark force was rising.
On the other side, the police officer Rich Roberts (played by Russell Crowe) has a broken family and is out of tune with the mainstream society, and hangs around the streets all day long with a sloppy appearance. He gradually became aware of the turmoil in the drug circle, and launched a secret investigation.
As the investigation deepened, the distance between Roberts and Lucas became shorter and shorter. Two men with similar temperaments and sympathy for each other inevitably had a head-on confrontation…

“American Gangster” is a 2007 biographical crime film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. The movie is based on the true story of Frank Lucas (Washington), a drug lord who rose to power in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City during the late 1960s and early 1970s, and the detective who pursued him, Richie Roberts (Crowe).

The film explores themes of corruption, loyalty, and the nature of power. Washington’s performance as Lucas was widely praised and earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. The film also features an ensemble cast including Josh Brolin, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Cuba Gooding Jr.

“American Gangster” was a commercial success, grossing over $266 million worldwide, and was well received by critics. It was nominated for two Academy Awards and won several other awards, including a Screen Actors Guild Award for Washington’s performance. The film has since become a classic crime drama and is regarded as one of Ridley Scott’s best films.