Denzel Goes Gangster in American Gangster

Washington is one of Hollywood's most demanding leading actors and his performance in this movie proves just that. He portrays Frank Lucas, who in the late 60s and early 70s was a heroin dealer and organized crime boss in Harlem claiming to have accumulated 1 million dollars a day in drug sales. Crowe is Richie Roberts, an NYPD Detective who with a team of officers bring down the once and still respected man.

American Gangster tells the story of how one man - a black man - who took it upon himself to cut out the middleman - the Italian mob boss - and went directly to the source in Southeast Asia and smuggled what many say was 98% pure heroine from Vietnam in the coffins of dead army men by way of his cousin who was in the armed forces and stationed in nearby Bangkok. Frank Lucas was the driver and protégé of Ellsworth "Bumpy" Robinson who was at the time the king of Harlem.

After the death of Johnson, Lucas continued to collect the money that was due to his mentor. He started out in a way that one would think was the smart way. To see how Italians keep their business in the family, Lucas thought to keep it in his family. So he decided to take matters into his own hands. After watching the news about how American soldiers were getting high from opium and heroine, he thought if it's that popular there he would make a killing here in the states, especially Harlem. In the beginning, we see the upside of Lucas' family coming together and keeping the business at a great flow. Then there's cops, not just any cops, the dirty ones. Josh Brolin is very convincing as crooked Detective Trupo, who thinks he's the true king of the streets.

Over the course of up to 7 years Frank Lucas made money hand over fist selling first class heroin for nearly half the price. More so than the Mafia and we all know that wasn't the best of feelings to have. But as saying goes - good things come to an end.