Mephisto Waltz in Blue

Rating: Null/10 (31 March 2002)

"When you dance with the Devil, the Devil don't change. He changes YOU."--Joaquin Phoenix in 8MM
It doesn't happen too often, that a line from one movie can perfectly sum up the plot of another, but there it is. Warts and all, there's still something about unsung, neo-noir cop thrillers like 8MM, RUSH, TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. and FORT APACHE: THE BRONX that stays with you. This may not necessarily be a good thing, but unlike something as insipid as AMERICAN PIE 2, for example, at least they make an indelible impression.
Add TRAINING DAY to that list. What makes the movie different from others of its stripe, is no brain-twisting mystery whatsoever. What could've been your usual, by-the-numbers, good cop/bad cop thriller, not worth a hot minute in theaters and even less than that on the video store shelf, is elevated by a ferociously good performance at its center. And that performance, of course, belongs to Denzel Washington, taking his career of noble, high-minded "saintly" roles and giving it a welcome, vigorous shake.
To say that undercover narc Det. Alonzo Harris is a bad man, is like saying that Bluebeard could've used a little marriage counseling. There's no way to simplify it in such pat terms. Somewhere underneath the layers of street cred that have hardened over the years into a thick, nearly impenetrable shell, a blue knight who has given over to the seductive darkness of thug life is buried alive. The young idealist who once wanted to "protect and serve" is still in there. You can catch glimpses of him, but less in the eyes of Harris, than in the face of his anxious but ready-to-please "street virgin" partner, Jake Hoyt, well-played by Ethan Hawke.
Jake thinks he can do whatever it takes to gain entry into the narc squad, and use it as a stepladder to reach his ultimate goal, which is to someday make Chief, and actually have his own precinct. But young Jake has got to survive his initial trial-by-fire first, and nothing he's learned in the academy has prepared him for what it's like to roll down the streets of South Central, with a truly original Bad Man.
The Oscar controversy has left a taint on this picture that is prejudicial and unfair, and the truth is that if Russell Crowe had won, the clamoring din of critics who would've screamed about how it would've been a consolation prize YET AGAIN for his astounding work in THE INSIDER, wouldn't have been quite as loud as the naysayers are now regarding Denzel.
Both actors are remarkable craftsmen, and both have never "phoned-in" a performance in any of the movies I've seen them in, regardless of what the genre is. If Denzel didn't deserve the award for this movie, as many have whined, then I say that he should have it for the simple fact that he has been doing great work LONGER than Russell Crowe. Bottom line.
Am I biased? I would say yes. Did the Best Actor award smack of a popularity contest? I would say definitely to some degree, but when HASN'T the "you-like-me-you-REALLY-like-me" factor not affected the Oscars? Regarding nomination of the best performance given, let me just say this. Russell, just in terms of acting ability, hits one out of the park as John Nash in A BEAUTIFUL MIND. High profile project, A-list director, a storyline that is virtual catnip to any Hollyweird producer. Personal ethics and public behavior aside, looking at Russell's past body of work, THIS WAS NOT A SURPRISE. This was a sure thing, a SAFE thing.
Considering Denzel's past achievements, the very last thing you would count on, is to see him give a Class-A performance in what could've easily been a grade-Z movie. If TRAINING DAY had come out at the same time as BOYZ 'N' THE HOOD, MENACE II SOCIETY, SUGAR HILL or NEW JACK CITY, with a star like Laurence Fishburne or Ving Rhames, there wouldn't have even been a debate. Don't get me wrong; these are both two fine actors, but Alonzo Harris is the kind of part we've seen them both play before. Nothing new there. But Denzel has NEVER played a villain before, let alone one as complex as this. And he did it BEAUTIFULLY. For that, he now has gold for his mantle. Case closed.
Ethan Hawke holds his own with Denzel's riveting presence, taking what could've been the cliched, fresh-faced rookie role and putting just enough spin on it, so that when Jake Hoyt is a little more wary, battle-tested and world-weary by the end, we can completely buy it. Very few of today's crop of "youngsters" could have believably pulled it off.
Antoine Fuqua (REPLACEMENT KILLERS, BAIT) has been down this road before, and the gritty, jittery, paranoia-laced uncertainty of the streets deposits a ball of tension in your gut from the opening frames and winds it ever tighter throughout the movie. South Central has never looked meaner, and it reminds us that for all the glamour we see on TV and in magazines and, yes, in the movies, L.A. has the same kind of scaly underbelly that all major cities have, and because of cops like Alonzo and Jake, good or bad, you might be lucky enough to never have to experience it first hand.
So if there is anything faulty about TRAINING DAY, it lies not in the performances of its award-nominated leads, Fuqua's sure-handed direction, or the almost three-dimensional photographic style of the excellent DP Mauro Fiore. TRAINING DAY'S main downfall lies in the factor that bears at least 75% importance in determining whether or not a movie will get made, even before the budgeting: the casting.
For that "extra touch" of street cred, not to mention guaranteeing the attraction of a certain demographic, no less than Snoop Dogg, Macy Gray and Dr. Dre stroll through in cameos, as a disabled crack dealer, a "ghetto-fabulous" hoochie, and one of Harris' men, respectively. All these performers have either lived or seen "the life" in one way or another, and none of them have to go 'Method' or 'find their motivation,' so you expect them to be good, and they are. The problem? Their presence, no matter how fleeting, is a jolting reminder that you are watching a movie, and that is what keeps DAY from being more than just a good film cemented by two great leads.
Even more distracting, though, are the other supporting players, all of whom are at the top of their game here, but their appearances toss the hard-won realism right out the window. Scott Glenn, Tom Berenger, Raymond J. Barry, Harris Yulin, Cliff Curtis and Raymond Cruz are among the well-meaning culprits, a who's-who of the type that we used to see a lot of, back when Clint was still busting heads as Harry Callahan. However, to the credit of the casting director(s) and the producers, I think we, the public, are savvy enough by now to know that without these vets, replaced instead by a bunch of no-names, no matter how talented they were, TRAINING DAY might still be a script sitting in the bottom of screenwriter David Ayer's desk drawer.
That said, this is no feel-good romp, no buddy-buddy cop thriller where an Eddie Murphy or a Chris Rock will cut the tension with a well-placed, profanity-laced quip or two. Even with its obvious drawbacks, TRAINING DAY is still better than most films of its type, and more than worth your dime and your time.