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American Gangster

7.6

78,185

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Original title

American Gangster

Year

2007

Running time

157 min.

Country

United States

Director

Ridley Scott

Screenwriter

Steven Zaillian

Cast

Music

Marc Streitenfeld

Cinematography

Harris Savides

Producer

Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment, Relativity Studios, Scott Free Productions

Genre

Thriller. Drama | Neo-noir. Mafia. Drugs. 1960s. 1970s. Based on a true story

Synopsis

Nobody used to notice Frank Lucas, the quiet driver for one of the inner city's leading black crime bosses. But when his boss suddenly dies, Frank exploits the opening in the power structure to build his own empire and create his own version of the American Dream. Through ingenuity and a strict business ethic, he comes to rule the inner-city drug trade and floods the streets with a purer product at a better price. Lucas outplays all of the leading crime syndicates and becomes not only one of the city's mainline corrupters, but part of its circle of legit civic superstars. Richie Roberts is an outcast cop close enough to the streets to feel a shift of control in the drug underworld. Roberts believes someone is climbing the rungs above the known Mafia families and starts to suspect that a black power player has come from nowhere to dominate the scene. Both Lucas and Roberts share a rigorous ethical code that sets them apart from their own colleagues, which makes them lone figures on opposite sides of the law. The destinies of these two men will become intertwined as they approach a confrontation in which only one of them can come out on top.

Rankings Position

#34 Best Movies Based on a True Story
#75 Best Thrillers in the history of film
#105 Best Movies of the 21st century

Awards: 2007: 2 Nominations for Oscar: Best Supporting Actress (Ruby Dee), Best Art Direction

2007: 3 Nominations for Golden Globe, including Best Movie Drama

2007: 5 Nominations for BAFTA, including Best Film, Cinematography and Original Screenplay

2007: 2 Nominations for Critics' Choice Awards: Best Picture and Song

2007: Screen Actors Guild (SAG): Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Ruby Dee). 2 Nom.

2007: Satellite Awards: Best Editing. 4 Nominations

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Ranking Lists Position

5 My Top 10 Movies from 2007 (581)
44 Best Movies I've Seen in Theaters Lately (35)
48 My Favorite Noir Movies (102)
51 My Favorite Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Movies (191)
70 My Top 20 Movies from the 2000s (98)

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American Gangster

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