Not your typical cop flick

Rating: 9/10 (7 April 2002)

I was surprised by an earlier user comment which stated that this film was a fun way to spend two hours "...without having to think too hard". This is NOT your typical cop/buddy flick with a happy, neatly tied-up ending. It had the necessary action and suspense elements, but it's also a dual character study as well as a sordid tour of America's drug and gang sub-culture. It's thought-provoking and disturbing.
Denzel Washington won the best actor Oscar for this, and I can see why--he's utterly mesmerizing as Alonzo, the senior street narc. He's Satan in gangsta clothes: charming, sexy, seductive, manipulative, and larger than life. Ethan Hawke deserves credit for holding his own with Washington; a lot of other actors would have been blown off the screen, but we keep identifying with Hawke's ingenue Jake right up to the end of the film. Great use of authentic locations and lighting, and terrific supporting performances too.
This was the best film of 2001 in my opinion. Just be warned that it's like watching a car crash--ugly, violent, and utterly fascinating.