Gallery: American Gangster

Director Ridley Scott puts the Oscar-weight tag team of Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe through their paces in a riveting, true-life crime epic. Washington plays Frank Lucas, the Harlem druglord whose rise to power in the 1970s hit two major snags: the end of the war in Vietnam and the dogged work of incorruptible New Jersey cop Richie Roberts (Crowe). Dramatically and technically, Scott’s excellent production means business.