Good Performances

Rating: 7/10 (4 September 2014)

An honest rookie cop, Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke), on his first day in the narcotics division, is assigned to be trained with a street-smart veteran, Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington). Harris demonstrates through his actions that in order to deal with hard-boiled criminals, it is necessary for the cops to get their hands dirty at times. They visit gang-infested neighborhoods, chase drug-dealers and conduct house-raids. But as the day progresses, Harris's methods become increasingly questionable and Hoyt starts suspecting his mentor's true intentions.
The stories of corrupt cops and naive, good-looking, rookie cops gaining an experience of their lifetime ("character arc" in movie parlance) have been told many times by Hollywood. But the performances of Washington and Hawke set this movie apart. The supporting cast is pretty good too. There is plenty of suspense and good action to keep the viewers engaged for two hours. But none of it stays in the mind after the movie is over.