Time Travel, Crime Thriller With A heart

Rating: 9/10 (27 November 2006)

Deja Vu is a top notched policier that effectively bridges the sci-fi cop film romance gap with stinging aplomb. I had my doubts but 20 minutes into this effects filled bonanza I was thoroughly hooked. There is little point in going into the intricacies of the convoluted plot. Reading a description will only make you think, "That sounds to implausible." one would utter. Yes there are some inconsistencies. ("Shocked, I am shocked to discover gambling at Ricks!") If you think to hard about it you will, well think to hard about it. Fact is that when you watch it as opposed to reading about it it all seems to make sense. Deja Vu does an incredible job of suspending disbelief, even if you have to swallow twice you will be too entertained to care.
The charge leveled against Denzel Washington is that he doesn't make serious pictures. Well that, my friend, is a good thing because his presence transforms countless Hollywood "product" into endearing fun. Remember "Out Of Time"? And how about "The Bone Collector"? Even "Training Day" was a pretty hackneyed project but the common denominator in all of these films is Denzel. He has done more to make run of the mill studio films bearable than just about any working actor and he doesn't disappoint here giving a great performance and elevating this hokum to near art. Denzel is the "everyman" that can act his way out of just about any situation, no matter how ridiculous, leaving the audience wanting more.
A minor quibble is running length. Hitchcock once noted that a film's running time should not exceed the carrying capacity of a healthy human bladder and this picture stretches it a bit. There really is no need for about 20 minutes, particularly the film's extended conclusion, but who cares? It is a great deal of fun nonetheless.