Written by Steve Zaillian
Directed by Ridley Scott
This wasn't the film I expected, and when it comes to Ridley Scott, I find that happens more often than not. Still, he usually makes mostly good films, and this time around it was the usual story. The film is a sprawling story that slowly draws the two characters of Frank Lucas (Washington) and Robert Ritchie (Crowe) together through the things that connect the two men.
The story is intercut between the lives of the two men, from Frank's rise through crime and Ritchie's passion for the law, and how that takes shape. Over an hour into the 2 hour and 40 minute film Ritchie makes the discovery that Frank Lucas is the man behind New York City's largest heroin selling ring, and that sets in motion the actions that will end up with the two men meeting, which doesn't happen until about 2 hours and 20 minutes into the film.
Many people think something like this would be boring because of the long runtime, but about 50 minutes into the film I thought about 10 minutes had gone by, showing Scott's talent in weaving an interesting story that is a sprawling epic, a depiction of a time and place, the perfect example of a period piece because it takes place in that time for a reason, it's a comment on the times in NYC, and the people that inhabited it.
The performances are what you would expect from Denzel and Russell, but the dynamic between them is what really shines here, despite the fact that the two men have no interaction throughout most of the film. The juxtaposition between the two sides of the law is what propels this film through its long runtime, and each of their stories is equally important to the message of the film, and it is ultimately what shapes the ending of this story.
The joy in the film is seeing how each man gets to the end, how their interaction is inevitable, and how the place in which each man lives and works is such a large part of him. Good film, not what I expected, but equally as good as I hoped it would be.
9.4/10
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