What exactly is an American Gangster? And, no, as a great a rapper as he is, the answer is not Jay-Z (or President Bush, although I like the way you're thinking). As defined by Ridley Scott’s highly anticipated epic recreation of the life of Frank Lucas, an "American" gangster is a man who prides business above all else, even family, and someone who uses the systems set up by this country, including the military and corrupt police force to further himself. Lucas will step over anyone in his climb up the ladder of the New York drug trade and it takes someone with the exact opposite worldview, the always helpful and honest-to-a-fault Richie Roberts, to take him down. After watching American Gangster however, one could conclude that the title doesn’t so much refer to the country’s greed or even just Frank’s origin but the film industry that has created icons like Lucas. As you watch Gangster, you don’t think so much of the real people affected by the murders and drug trafficking of Lucas as you do the cinematic icons that he follows into history. Corleone, Montana, Lucas - the line is clear but this soon-to-be legendary movie baddie is missing something. He’s got all the charm and charisma, but he’s missing one thing truly American - soul.

In case you’ve been living under a rock and avoided the last six months of constant previews - Ridley Scott’s American Gangster marks the reunion of Oscar winners Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington (who starred in Virtuosity together long before they were the stars they are today). In a little too clear-cut terms, Crowe plays the good guy, Roberts, a cop who heads a task force to deal with the drug problem in New York and the boroughs at the same time that Lucas is staking his claim to the territory previously run by his mentor, Bumpy Johnson. As Lucas basically takes control of the drug world by force, Roberts comes closer and closer to realizing that it’s not just Italians running NYC any more, but the first generation of truly American gangsters. Steven Zaillian’s ambitious screenplay surrounds both Frank and Richie with a dozen or so interesting personalities including Josh Brolin as a very corrupt cop working the system to his own benefit, John Hawkes as one of the more outspoken members of Roberts’ drug team, and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Huey Lucas, the brother who might be Frank’s biggest weakness.

There’s much to admire about American Gangster, particularly on a production level. The action takes place in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s and the recreation of the time period and the production design is spectacular on every level. Scott likes to use many wide street shots and scenes in crowded clubs and every element from the store fronts to the cars to the costumes look completely genuine. You believe what’s happening at every minute of American Gangster could be a very close recreation of what actually went down. There’s a legitimacy to the production that elevates it above what many other directors can do. Scott is a perfectionist and that pays off in the look of American Gangster.

But it could be the reason the film doesn’t live up to expectations. American Gangster is proof that a film isn’t always the sum of its parts. Two great actors, a fantastic ensemble, an Oscar-winning writer and a three-times nominated director, and perfect production design, and yet American Gangster is surprisingly forgettable. Why? It’s missing heart and soul. It almost feels too well-designed, like it’s a product of the film industry and not a story of real people. We’re never given much of a reason to care about Frank or Richie and so the film becomes a vivid recreation without any dramatic purpose. Everyone involved got the "how" and the "what" of this story down great but forgot the "why." We never learn much about either Frank or Richie beyond their actions and it makes the whole piece shockingly cold and detached.

In the end, American Gangster is too well made not to recommend it, but it won’t be the cinematic landmark that you might have expected when you read the resumes of everyone involved. Neither Washington nor Crowe feels like they’re stretching themselves at all and Scott only feels like he’s accomplished something technically. You’ll admire American Gangster, but it never gets under your skin or sticks in your memory. It’s a good film that feels like it could have been great. They built a beautiful American with all the right parts, but they forget the heart.