Great acting in an under-average movie

Rating: 5/10 (17 August 2006)

I had great expectations for this movie, which eventually have been disappointed. A lot of fictitious characters have been added for no apparent reason. The evil and racist policeman (Della Pesca) who prosecutes Carter even since he was a 6 years old child is one of the most silly and useless (if not detrimental) characters I ever saw in a "based on a true story" movie. The three good Canadian Samaritans literally come from nowhere and the script should give us some ideas about them. Apparently, they succeed, as amateur detectives/lawyers, where dozens of others had failed, just because they are guided by peace love and unity. The scene in the isolation cell-block, where three different "Hurricanes" deal one with each other to symbolize the different sides of the character's personality is a mere clichÃ¨ and, frankly, the similar scene involving Gollum in the Ring's saga had a more realistic touch (enough said, I guess). What remains, in the end: an outstanding performance of Denzel Washington, whose personal involvement in the project can be clearly perceived in his acting. Not enough to me, unfortunately. For a "boxe&prison" movie, one could find a lot more intensity and truth in Walter Hill's "Undisputed".