'Gangster' brutal and compelling

AMERICAN GANGSTER — ** 1/2 — Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe; rated R (violence, drugs, profanity, gore, nudity, sex, slurs, torture)

"American Gangster" really means business. In the film's opening scene, a man is tortured, set on fire and is then shot to death. And things don't get any nicer from there.

There's a real feeling of nastiness and brutality to the film, though that's not the only off-putting aspect. The rather lengthy crime thriller (it clocks in at more than 2 1/2 hours) spends considerable time just trying to find the center of its narrative thread.

Still, as rambling as it gets at times, there is a compelling true story behind "American Gangster," and the film boasts some strong performances, led by Denzel Washington, whose real-life character is the obvious inspiration for the title.

Washington stars as Frank Lucas, a driver and bodyguard for a Harlem ganglord who rises to power after his boss's death in 1968. According to this version of events, Frank uses ingenuity and cunning to gain power over his rivals.

He also uses a "family" style of organization similar to Italian Mafiosi and leaves virtually no trace of evidence that connected him to the sudden influx of narcotics into the city.

The man trying to connect Frank to the drugs is Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe), a detective whose squeaky-clean career is not mirrored by his messy personal life. But he has been appointed to lead a special narcotics task force, and he's determined bring down some major criminals, including Frank.

Director Ridley Scott and screenwriter Steve Zaillian try to develop each character equally, though it's really Washington's charismatic crook who holds our interest. That's not meant to slight Crowe, who's fine as well — even if he does look a little old for the part.

The solid supporting cast includes Chiwetel Ejiofor as one of Frank's brothers, Ruby Dee as his mother, Josh Brolin as a crooked cop and Carla Gugino as Richie's ex-wife.

"American Gangster" is rated R for strong scenes of violence and brutality (including warfare, shootings, beatings, explosive mayhem and violence against women), strong drug content (narcotics reference, manufacturing and use, including hypodermic needles), strong sexual profanity, gore and blood, female nudity, simulated sex and other sexual contact, slurs based on race and ethnicity, and a brief scene of torture. Running time: 157 minutes.

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