denzel at his best

Rating: 10/10 (30 November 2013)

Other reviewers here have covered the backstory, the direction, the production, and just about everything there is to cover for this excellent and unforgettable film. Except for one thing. It is a peculiarity of the film business that some actors peak early, for no obvious reason, and others just keep on going, like the Energizer rabbit. Michael Caine -- excuse me SIR Caine -- has been making movies for decades. Sometimes he is brilliant and sometimes he is not. Samuel L. Jackson has been in so many movies that (to this reviewer) it seems like the writers have reached the point where they no longer bother naming a character, they just pencil in the margins that they have written a part for Jackson. Denzel, who was beyond brilliant here, it is so hard to imagine anyone else doing this role with the conviction and the diction that is his trademark, seems to have stopped doing these sorts of parts (written in 2013) and frankly, more's the pity. Hollywood is like that. So on top of all the other excellent reasons to see and enjoy this film, here is one more. Denzel at his peak. What more can I say?