Biopic affair about a cop & the drug-dealing gangster he pursues and ultimately befriends, starring Russell Crowe, Denzel Washington and a whole cast of A & B list stars. Directed by Ridley Scott this is an at times leisurely, often brutal and always classy piece of celluloid. The period is captured well, the performances are fine if not electrifying and the story is captivating though lacking in any real depth.
For me, the trouble with this project is that it involved the real protagonists in the production. This is fair enough as it is their story and if you're playing someone it's good to have them around for research and reference. In the case of Frank Lucas, Denzel Washington's character, this means that a vicious, drug-dealing murderer who brought misery to the lives of thousands is given credibility and a sensitive treatment. Whilst the film doesn't shirk from showing some of his brutal excesses the effects on the lives blighted by him and his trade are not reflected. The female workers forced to cut & pack his drugs naked so they can't steal all seem very happy to be working for him, we don't see the damage he's causing nearly enough. There's one very clever sequence where we go from Lucas's Cosbyesque family Thanksgiving to the junkies shooting up and the squalor and misery of their lives. It's powerful and beautifully pitched. It's then followed up with Lucas having an altercation with one of his dealers who has been cutting the drugs too much giving a clear impression that it was this which caused the misery & damage & not anything Lucas was doing.
His 'redemption' at the end when his house of cards came tumbling down is pretty much also dealt with in one scene. Whilst it may be true that the dealer & the cop became friends the switch seems to be very easy. Surely having this man on the set and involved must have gained him an easier ride?
Crowe's character almost seems the usual cliche and if it wasn't for the historical content it could have been dismissed as such. Straight cop, shunned by other for being too honest, divorced, fighting to keep contact with his son, partner turned to drugs and killed by the product of the man he later hunts down, blah, blah, blah. But it was this guys life and stereotypes come about for a reason. Crowe is reputed to have requested tapes of Richie Roberts to get the voice right and Roberts has said he got the walk spot on. Sadly, the accent was shaky with moments of pure Australian creeping in. Not the worst I've heard, but Crowe can do much better.
Washington is clearly a powerful and talented actor. Sadly, I think he's becoming very lazy and it is hard to see the difference between this portrayal and most of the other characters he has played recently. Repetitive physical tricks, like the chewing gum when he wants to be angry, but controlled, the tilts of the head etc etc have all been seen before. Repeatedly. Denzel, you need to watch your DVDs and break some of these habits.
Worthy, watchable and witty in places there are a great many worse ways to spend some time. It would just have been better if you could give a stuff about any of them or there was any real sense of threat towards the hero.
Bloopers. Denzel's character buys a big mansion and moves his whole family into it. Apart from the fact that it doesn't appear to have a drive up to the door forcing the whole crowd to walk across the lawn where they've parked their smoking bangers the sequence of scenes is weird. The family arrive, then there's a big dinner scene and everyone's got changed. Then Denzel shows Mom to her bedroom. After they've been in the house for hours? Where did she change? Why does she act as if it's a surprise she has a room there? They all brought their belongings strapped to the back of their cars like the Clampetts at the start of Beverly Hillbillies.
For me, the trouble with this project is that it involved the real protagonists in the production. This is fair enough as it is their story and if you're playing someone it's good to have them around for research and reference. In the case of Frank Lucas, Denzel Washington's character, this means that a vicious, drug-dealing murderer who brought misery to the lives of thousands is given credibility and a sensitive treatment. Whilst the film doesn't shirk from showing some of his brutal excesses the effects on the lives blighted by him and his trade are not reflected. The female workers forced to cut & pack his drugs naked so they can't steal all seem very happy to be working for him, we don't see the damage he's causing nearly enough. There's one very clever sequence where we go from Lucas's Cosbyesque family Thanksgiving to the junkies shooting up and the squalor and misery of their lives. It's powerful and beautifully pitched. It's then followed up with Lucas having an altercation with one of his dealers who has been cutting the drugs too much giving a clear impression that it was this which caused the misery & damage & not anything Lucas was doing.
His 'redemption' at the end when his house of cards came tumbling down is pretty much also dealt with in one scene. Whilst it may be true that the dealer & the cop became friends the switch seems to be very easy. Surely having this man on the set and involved must have gained him an easier ride?
Crowe's character almost seems the usual cliche and if it wasn't for the historical content it could have been dismissed as such. Straight cop, shunned by other for being too honest, divorced, fighting to keep contact with his son, partner turned to drugs and killed by the product of the man he later hunts down, blah, blah, blah. But it was this guys life and stereotypes come about for a reason. Crowe is reputed to have requested tapes of Richie Roberts to get the voice right and Roberts has said he got the walk spot on. Sadly, the accent was shaky with moments of pure Australian creeping in. Not the worst I've heard, but Crowe can do much better.
Washington is clearly a powerful and talented actor. Sadly, I think he's becoming very lazy and it is hard to see the difference between this portrayal and most of the other characters he has played recently. Repetitive physical tricks, like the chewing gum when he wants to be angry, but controlled, the tilts of the head etc etc have all been seen before. Repeatedly. Denzel, you need to watch your DVDs and break some of these habits.
Worthy, watchable and witty in places there are a great many worse ways to spend some time. It would just have been better if you could give a stuff about any of them or there was any real sense of threat towards the hero.
Bloopers. Denzel's character buys a big mansion and moves his whole family into it. Apart from the fact that it doesn't appear to have a drive up to the door forcing the whole crowd to walk across the lawn where they've parked their smoking bangers the sequence of scenes is weird. The family arrive, then there's a big dinner scene and everyone's got changed. Then Denzel shows Mom to her bedroom. After they've been in the house for hours? Where did she change? Why does she act as if it's a surprise she has a room there? They all brought their belongings strapped to the back of their cars like the Clampetts at the start of Beverly Hillbillies.
