Ridley Scott and cast coast along in American Gangster

A multitude of cinematic sins can be laid at Sir Ridley Scott’s feet, ranging from his creation of the MTV blue-light flash style of filmmaking, to how his early success in commercials paved the way for the ascent of the Great Satan Michael Bay, or even that his fondness for smoke machines conceivably sped along global warming by a decade or more. (See also: Tom Cruise in Legend.) What ultimately differentiates Scott from his legions of numbskull imitators, though, is the surprising amount of passion and enthusiasm he pours into his immaculate images. No matter how insanely detailed his tech-noir trappings, there’s a genuine pulse lurking deep below.

American Gangster, Scott’s first film since the misguided but enjoyable A Good Year, feels like one of the rare cases of the director just phoning it in. Despite an intriguing true story and the seemingly surefire combo of Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, everyone involved seems to be coasting.

Steven Zaillian’s script follows the rise and fall of New York drug kingpin Frank Lucas (Washington), a small-time bodyguard who hits pay dirt with an ingenious scheme involving American casualties in Vietnam, and the one honest cop in the city (Crowe) who vows to take him down. It’s potentially fascinating stuff, but even the usually dependable Crowe is stuck in one-note white-bread good-guy mode. (The one exception is Josh Brolin, who brings a hilariously skuzzy energy to his role as a grift-happy detective.) Scott’s gift for composition and the occasional flash of wickedness from Washington keeps this from being a bad film, precisely, just a disappointing one.

AMERICAN GANGSTER DIR. RIDLEY SCOTT | RATED R | OPENS FRI AT THEATERS EVERYWHERE

Tags: american gangster, denzel washington, Film, russell crowe