Washington holds up movie

Rating: 8/10 (21 February 2000)

You know what I find amazing? Denzel Washington has been in the movie business for years and yet Hollywood never seems to give him the same respect that is given to actors like Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise. But when you listen to fellow actors speak about Washington, it is clear that he is regarded as an extremely talented actor and one of the best at his craft which brings me to his latest movie, The Hurricane.
This is a movie based on the true accounts of Rubin Carter, a professional boxer in the 1960s accused of murdering three people in a bar. The evidence surrounding the case was sketchy at best in the original trial yet in an attempt to satisfy public dissention and with the aid of an ethically challenged detective, a swift sentence was handed down to Carter and an innocent fan that happened to be with him when he was picked up by the police. The story paints the impression that Carter will spend the rest of his life in prison and flashes forward several years before we meet a young boy by the name of Lesra Martin. Living with a group of Canadians in Toronto, the young boy from Brooklyn visits a book market where he buys his first book; one written by Rubin Carter. A correspondence between Carter and Martin ensues not too long afterwards and after befriending the boxer, the boy and the Canadians decide that they are going to help Carter out of prison.
As with most movies based on facts, not all of it is going to be absolutely accurate. What you will see here is only one perspective and in this case, the perspective of a person wrongfully imprisoned for a crime that he did not commit. As such, you are going to see facts displayed from that perspective which may or may not be objective. Quite often, while I was sitting there, I did have questions as the story glossed over areas that did not related to the main character. For a movie that is primarily dialogue and storytelling, The Hurricane was inconsistent and sometimes incomplete. The director (Norman Jewison) would bring up situations at certain points and not really elaborate on them laterwards leaving the audience hanging on that particular issue. The impression that I got was that Jewison was trying to fit too much into the movie. He essentially tried to cover 25 years worth of facts in 3 hours and what resulted was a movie that was somewhat rushed.
What saved this movie was the performance of Washington. He took what he was given and did a fabulous job. I found myself riveted whenever he was speaking and couldn't help but gain a new respect (which I already had plenty of) for him. The young man who plays Lesra Martin (Vicellous Reon Shannon) also did an excellent job. The chemistry between Washington and Shannon was very evident and they do manage to tug on some heart strings. The rest of the cast was pretty good but unfortunately due to incomplete storytelling their performances seem to be lacking.
Overall, if you want to see some brilliant acting from Washington, then definitely see this movie. He has already won a Golden Globe for "Best Male Actor" earlier this year for his portrayal of Rubin Carter and I suspect that he will be favored to win for the Oscars. Hopefully Hollywood gives him the respect that he deserves after this performance. As for pure entertainment value, this movie does manage to tell the story but you may feel a bit lacking when you leave but I still do recommend it purely from a human interest perspective.