Denzel Washington At His Finest

Rating: 8/10 (16 June 2002)

The story is a bit far-fetched (seems to me that an awful lot happens in just one day - police life really is exciting!) but this movie is worth watching even if it's only to see Denzel Washington put on an unforgettable performance. Washington is, in my opinion, one of the finest actors in Hollywood today. This may not be his best performance ("Glory" and "Philadelphia" come to mind) but it's unforgettable because it shows his versatility. Washington generally plays "good guy" roles; here he's the corrupt LAPD narcotics officer Alonzo Harris, who recruits Officer Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke) to his squad only to set him up in a scheme he has to pay back Russian mobsters to whom he owes money.
Washington's Harris comes across as believably ruthless ("the devil incarnate" my wife called him at one point.) Harris and Hawke made a great team. They seemed to have a chemistry and I hope they work together again. The movie is chock full of action and you definitely will not be bored. It contains a lot of language, but surprisingly little nudity or sexual content, focusing instead on the story itself.
Watch this. You will definitely enjoy it. 8/10.