He keeps the stories of Rubin and Lesra moving quite well through a good two hours of the film. Until a rather heavy-handed ending, this powerful story is allowed to find life on the screen, thanks to Washington's great performance. I must admit, however, that I was somewhat troubled by Hedaya's character. He played it well, but it was almost too demonic, making it difficult to believe that such a person existed. Quite possibly, he was demonized to have a stronger villian for the film, but in this case I don't think it was necessary.
Racism is a sneaky evil, and it usually appears in a more subtle form.
Otherwise, the characterizations are all well done, even if they all have to be angelic to keep balance. They have nominated it for three Golden Globes , including Best Dramatic Actor for Washington, who will be the only serious competition for Kevin Spacey's inspired turn in American Beauty . You should definitely look for the same battle come Oscar time.