The title refers to Frank Lucas, who controlled a big chunk of the New York heroin trade for the first half of the 1970s. The movie follows two parallel tracks: first the rise of Lucas, played by Denzel Washington; second, the efforts of Ritchie Roberts, played by Russell Crowe, to catch him. This is enjoyable, and the first half is compelling, but somehow it didn’t quite cohere for me. Continue reading American Gangster