During decades of social, economic and racial turmoil, the world's greatest superpower has consistently lost the battle against drugs. In 1971, President Nixon declared: "America's public enemy number one, in the United States, is drugs." At the time, it was estimated that one third of American troops fighting in Vietnam were experimenting with heroin and opium.

American Gangster recounts the true story of the rise and fall of Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington), who created a drugs empire in 1970s New York, controlling a large portion of the city's heroin trade. Aided and abetted by his five brothers, the so-called Country Boys, Frank successfully out-manouevred the ruling Italian mob, flooding Harlem with cheap, high-grade product emblazoned with the Blue Magic logo. Rumoured to be raking in more than $1m day at the height of his reign, Frank famously smuggled his illegal wares into the country in the coffins of dead servicemen.

This bloated thriller pits the real-life organised crime boss against a New Jersey cop, Detective Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe), a hothead who is determined to clean up the streets and root out corrupt elements within his own narcotics division. The unfolding game of cat and mouse should make for riveting cinema but, as with the evil drug that Frank peddles, the emotional high wears off far too quickly.

Director Ridley Scott excels during scenes of conflict and violence. The swoop on Frank's operation is brilliantly orchestrated, injecting a burst of much-needed adrenaline into an otherwise pedestrian thriller. The 156-minute running severely tests our patience - editor Pietro Scalia could happily take a scalpel to the middle hour.

Washington remains placid for much of the film, his kingpin refusing to show any feelings as Richie and the team edge closer to an arrest. When he does crack, someone invariably gets singed by the heat of his rage. "I ain't running from nobody," sneers Frank to one of his minions, arrogantly dismissing Richie's efforts to bring him down. Even in a police interrogation room, the evidence weighted against him, Frank cockily boasts, "I took care of Harlem and Harlem's gonna take care of me."

Crowe brings quiet dignity to his lawmaker, who prizes honesty above everything else, and cheekily quips: "You know what we do here? We arrest bad guys." A subplot involving Richie's courtroom battles with his wife (Carla Gugino) for custody of his son is an unnecessary distraction. Zaillian's script is light on detail -- it's noticeable that we learn very little on a psychological or emotional level about either man. Kept apart on screen for almost the entire film, Frank and Richie remain fascinating enigmas until the bitter end.

BRICK LANE (15, 101 mins) Drama/Romance. Tannishtha Chatterjee, Satish Kaushik, Christopher Simpson, Harvey Virdi, Lalita Ahmed, Naeema Begum, Lala Rahman, Zafreen. Director: Sarah Gavron.

Released: November 16 (UK & Ireland, selected cinemas) Since its publication in 2003, Brick Lane by Monica Ali has inspired adulation and condemnation with equal fervour. Though it won many prizes, some residents of the area of east London depicted in the novel were not so lavish with their praise. They alleged the Brick Lane of Ali's rich invention bore scant resemblance to the place they call home.

When director Sarah Gavron announced her intention to shoot a film version on location, the media fanned the flames of controversy with reports of protests and uproar. Adding fuel to the fire, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall pulled out of a high-profile charity screening. As a result, for only the second time since the Second World War, there was no Royal Film Performance this year.

The story revolves around 17-year-old Nazneen (Tannishtha Chatterjee), who enters into an arranged marriage to portly Chanu (Satish Kaushik) - a man old enough to be her father - and leaves rural Bangladesh for a housing estate in London. Nazneen dutifully follows the path that life has chosen for her, bearing two daughters - Shahana (Naeema Begum) and Bibi (Lala Rahman) - and cooking and cleaning while Chanu blunders from one low-paid job to the next. She lives vicariously through the letters of her beloved sister Hasina (Zafreen).

Venturing outside the four walls of her home, Nazneen befriends neighbour Razia (Harvey Virdi), who encourages the young wife to earn extra money by sewing garments for local businessman Karim (Christopher Simpson). The moment Razia meets the handsome wheeler-dealer, something within her stirs.

Brick Lane is beautifully crafted, with dreamy flashbacks that contrast with the earthy tones of London. The tragic-comic Chanu makes the biggest impression, beautifully portrayed by Kaushik, whose boundless optimism and lack of social graces cannot disguise a pure heart. Chatterjee is beguiling, with a beautifully expressive face that reflects Nazneen's maelstrom of emotions.