American Gangster

American Gangster, Ridley Scott's best film in many years, is the true story of how Harlem crook Frank Lucas (Washington) became one of the biggest drug barons on the east coast during the '70s by smuggling heroin into the US in the coffins of soldiers being flow home from Vietnam, and of the only honest cop in town (Crowe) who heads the task force trying to bring him to justice. Part Lucas biopic, part action thriller, part police procedural, the two and a half hour running time flies by with the immediacy of Scorsese at his best. Washington is mesmerising and Crowe has a lot of success playing slightly against type as a cop more used to using brain than brawn. The big showdown between the pair is a long time coming, but it's just about worth the wait and any film that can coax a good performance from Cuba Gooding Jr. has to be worth a look. [Paul Greenwood]