Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment presents a 157 minute, R rated film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Denzel Washington (Frank Lucas), Russell Crowe ( Richie Roberts), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Huey Lucas), Josh Brolin (Detective Trupo), Lymari Nadal (Eva), Roger Guenveur Smith (Nate), John Hawkes (Freddie Spearman), RZA (Moses Jones), Yul Vazquez (Alphonse Abruzzo), Malcolm Goodwin (Jimmy Zee), Ruby Dee (Mama Lucas), with Ruben Santiago-Hudson (Doc), John Ortiz (Javier J. Rivera), Cuba Gooding Jr. (Dominic Cattano), Common (Turner Lucas), Warner Miller (Melvin Lucas), Albert Jones Terrence Lucas), J. Kyle Manzay (Dexter Lucas), T.I. (Stevie Lucas), Melissia Hill (Redtop), Kevin Corrigan (Campizi), Robert Funaro (McCann), Jon Polito (Rossi), Tom Stearns (2-star General), Kadee Strickland (Richie's Attorney), Carla Gugino (Laurie Roberts) and Skyler Fortgang (Michael Roberts).
Based on a true story it follows the life and times of Frank Lucas, a heroin kingpin that actually sits higher in the criminal food chain in Manhattan than the mafia. Harlem, 1968, Frank was the driver of his mentor, he learned that America was too big, had no pride, no longer provided service along with the ways of the corrupt drug world. Upon his friend and mentor's death he soon followed in his footsteps becoming one of the richest and low profile drug lords working from a penthouse and driving a Lincoln albeit killing thousands by selling his drugs on the streets.
Frank knew he could do better than the other drug dealers if he had pure 100% heroin twice as good as the others at half as much the street price making him a very rich man. He worked with members of the United States Army who he paid off to traffic this pure white dust from south East Asia hidden in the coffins of soldiers killed at war in Vietnam. He also learned that by paying off the police he would not have to worry about jail or legal harassment from the city's finest yet crooked cops.
One police officer though from New Jersey had other plans for the drug war. When he and his partner found almost a million dollars in the trunk of a car he turned it in to the police department. Most people let alone cops that work for practically nothing a year would think twice about turning such a large amount of money in to the authorities. Not Richie Roberts, he lived by the book and served his city with justice and a clean conscience while also studying for his bar to become a defense attorney. All along also fighting the courts and the social system for the custody of his son, who his wife took to live a better life in Las Vegas.
On the streets of New York much of the heroin was laced with lactose making it less potent but not Frank's, this stuff smuggled in from Bangkok was the true "Blue Magic". He himself made sure it was the best by visiting the jungles in which it was made. When his magic started to sell, Frank still did his best to keep a low profile. Something he learned from his mentor as a way of moving under the radar of those that may look to bring him down. Sometimes the loudest one in the room is truly the weakest one in the room but it may not be the clothes in which you wear that makes you noticed but rather the seat in which you sit in in public. He enlisted the help of his brothers from North Carolina, bought his mother a mansion and married Eva, Miss Puerto Rico, so the low profile eventually became high making him a target in the just and corrupt worlds in which he lived.
This dramatic, crime thriller has many characters that eventually mold into one story line but as the director normally does in his films, he runs the time about a half hour too long. The writing is brilliant along with the acting right down to the appropriate score and cinematography but sometimes a bit less is truly more. Even though there were violent moments, they don't compare to that of the film, "Scarface" which of course was more blood than the execution styles used in this lengthy albeit intriguing story. Footage used depicting television speeches by then President Nixon, the introduction of the microwave and the fashions helped to project the years in which the story unfolds making it seem more realistic to the viewer. Although, even with the heavy hitters starring in this adaptation I'm not sure it is filled with enough action, and compelling scenes to attract a long box office draw.
As the film points out, corruption is rampant throughout the United States, then, now and sure to be in the future but it is good to know that there are those like Richie who still believe that justice will prevail in the end. Drugs may be a part of life then and now employing thousands of people in this country but think of what a better place the world would be without them. Many people lose their lives everyday due to the use and sales of narcotics but as long as it tends to make the grass look greener on the other side it will never die but the user may! Sometimes quitting while you are ahead is not the same as quitting so why live life like an old country song and lose your house, car, family and dog. How amazing, Frank once was lost but now he's found a 70 year sentence in prison, $250 million less but thanks to his defense attorney and the information he supplied he was released in 1991 after 15 years to a graceful new world alone.
Reporting for Talkin' Pets, I'm Jon Patch.