Exciting Thriller !

Rating: 9/10 (18 June 2007)

Deja Vu is the more than intriguing title that was chosen for Denzel Washington's long anticipated new film. A Deja Vu is a strange phenomenon that modern-day science is yet to sufficiently explain. The simplified definition is "The sensation you are doing something you have done before.". You're no wiser now than you were a minute ago when you started reading are you?... I didn't think so :-). If you're hoping to learn more about the story itself I suggest you stop reading this comment immediately because the above is all I'm going to tell you about the story as it is a heavenly delight to watch this film ice cold( the regular IMDb user will know what I mean). Just lay back and you will be blown away by the story.
Deja Vu is a fast-paced action thriller that has all the elements to keep you glued to your seat throughout the movie. An a-typical Denzel Washington movie but then again is there such a thing as a typical Denzel Washington movie?! He's played civil war soldiers, police officers, boxers, basket ball players and he manages to make it work every time.
This is an intelligent action film( yes, there is such a thing) and will leave some thinking even after the credits have rolled. I know that was the case for yours truly. Don't miss out on this one, see it now because you never know what will happen tomorrow.
Denzel Washington is great as always, he doesn't have as much to work with character-wise as in Training Day or The Hurricane but he still makes it work and makes the character 100% believable as he always manages to do. Jim Caviezel is unbelievable in his role. I've seen him in some roles before where I judged him to be average, but this was the firs time I was very impressed by him. ( I must admit I haven't seen him as Christ). The other actors are a bit overshadowed by those 2 amazing actors and deliver just OK performances.
Tony Scott does an amazing job directing the film. He applies a very modern style in the camera shots ( frequent use of close-ups and fast paced switching of camera viewpoints), allowing the public to feel the excitement of the scenes. He is very careful not to overdo it, the slower and more intense scenes are given the chance to develop (without too much switching between camera viewpoints) and have the intended effect on the viewer. An example of a film that overdid the fast switching of shots is Smokin' Aces, which made the film very chaotic and sloppy. The pacing of the story itself is masterfully done.
Deja Vu is one of 06's best. I haven't been so impressed by a film since I saw The Prestige some time ago. Both these films show that modern films with daring scenarios do have the potential to become classics and that the general film quality is going up despite what some cynics may say.
See it yesterday rather than today...?!! :-D