Denzel turns to the dark side!

Rating: Null/10 (12 January 2003)

I really get off on the regular crop of intellectually aloof and simpering movie jocks that figure they have a handle on just about every flick comes out. Why I wonder, given their obvious analytical brilliance and self-promoting bravado are they not making movies themselves?
Any which way you look at it, TRAINING DAY is a powerhouse film and Denzel Washington well earned his Oscar even allowing for the fact the Russell Crowe's performance in A BEAUTIFUL MIND blew this out of the water! I don't really care if this offers no redeeming comment on the direction, success or otherwise of law enforcement. I care even less about the snowballing ambiguity of Ethan Hawke's predicament as Washington's rookie partner, nor the plot variables, missed linkages, Hollywoodisation or in fact ANYTHING other than the performances of the two leads and the script supporting them. It did enough to more than justify the price of a ticket and in my book thats just fine and dandy. True it lacked the racial conflict of IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT, the grit of MIDNIGHT EXPRESS or the sheer dynamics of BULLITT. It remains though one hell of a good film - for what it is!
Judge it the same way!