Fantastic, Denzel Washington's finest hour

Rating: 9/10 (15 May 2006)

Before seeing this movie, my impression of Denzil Washington as an actor wasn't especially high. Not to say that he isn't talented, just that ever since Crimson Tide he appeared to be slotted neatly into every stern hero in every serious political thriller to be trotted off the studio assembly line for years. But then came Training Day and his role as Alonzo Harris and all that changed. Shrugging off the overly serious good guy image once and for all, Washington here is a revelation; a barking, ranting maelstrom of police brutality who believes that maintaining order on the crime ridden streets of LA means being even more ruthless than the drug dealers he faces on a day to day basis. His performance elevates the film from standard thriller fare into an exemplary story that has quite rightly become one of my favourite films of all time.
Set over the course of twenty four hours, the film whisks Ethan Hawke's naive young police officer onto an introductory day of Narcotics work under Alonzo's tutelage. As the hours go by, Hawke is subjected to more and more violence as the heat and paranoia of suburban Los Angeles combined with his loose cannon superior officer play a heavy toll on his nerves. Consequently, the film is very much a two man story with Hawke and Washington playing off against each other expertly as polar opposites. One young, inexperienced and a firm believer in the rule book, the other older, more cynical and twisted by all his years on the streets into a bull-headed monster.
The story itself is fraught with tension. Alonzo forcing his young protégé to smoke PCP at gunpoint is just the start and from there on the pulse pounding never stops. The execution scene where Hawke realises just how far gone his partner is for example is one of nail-biting pressure and shortly after, his encounter with a trio of Mexican gang members is jaw dropping, working as the exact moment you realise how much hot water he has found himself in.
The end result is nothing less than a brilliant thriller. Hawke and Washington make for a phenomenal double act and the pace only occasionally lets up to allow the characters time to breathe and establish the depth that makes you care for them more. Highly, highly recommended so long as you're prepared to be absolutely terrified of Denzel Washington for years to come.