American Gangster

Between the Coens’ new shoot-’em-up and American Gangster, this year’s Oscar contenders will probably be slam-bang pieces of entertainment. In Gangster, Denzel Washington plays African-American mob boss Frank Lucas,who ruled ’70s Harlem by making his product—heroin—better and cheaperthan his rivals’, while simultaneously becoming one of the city’s greatcivic leaders. Opposing him is one Russell Crowe,an “outcast cop,” who is equally possessed of a solid moral ethicamongst a corrupt force. These two men will meet, bullets will fly, andall the while we’ll be treated to some awesome ’70s imagery, greatmusic, and two of the sexiest leading men to go head to head in a moviesince Heat.