Almost Perfect

Rating: 9/10 (19 May 2005)

Despite the last 15 minutes, Training Day is a powerful, gutsy film that has award-winning performances by Denzel Washington (Alzono) and Ethan Hawke (Jake). Ethan Hawke plays a complex character that is only rivaled by his current stage performance of Hurlyburly.
The movie follows Jake who is a rookie narcotics cop and wants to get in on the action and be part of Alzono's undercover team. Alzono is king of the narcotics group, a ruler of the streets who sets his own rules within the department and on the street. Alzono enforces his own definition of justice, punishment, and morality.
Take away the guns and violence and this is about morality on the streets where there is no true understanding of how justice plays out, except by force.
The supporting cast and cameos by Snoop and Dr. Dre are terrific, as is the cinematography and grainy feel. Denzel's performance is rivaled only by a similar role in Man on Fire.
If only.
If only this wasn't a studio film and didn't have to have the tied knot ending. The movie would be perfect if only the edit had stopped when Jake is walking away from Alzono after the bust, leaving the audience to wonder: Will Jake go bad? If only we didn't know.