I thought I wouldn't like it.

Rating: 9/10 (30 January 2001)

I saw this film recently on cable. I had missed it in the theaters on purpose. I was turned off by some of the selling of the film I had heard on talk radio. So, when the first twenty minutes seemed to forecast the fairly predictable "it's just the way white people alway abuse us" theme, I grabbed the remote control. I did not click. I was held by Denzel Washington's riveting superstar thing. He's just got it. What can I say? I was rewarded. The film evolved into one of the best mind benders I have seen about race relations. I like that a lot. There were no bad groups or good groups by the end of the film. Just very real individual people, responsible and irresponsible, lovable and hateful, hopeful and defeated. I really enjoyed Liev Schreiber in this film. Also, isn't Rod Steiger always a welcomed player? I could not help remembering Clancy Brown, here a decent prison guard, as a tough in "Bad Boys", another prison favorite, when he was younger. I am going out of my way to recommend this film to friends who have not seen it.