2001 crime drama
Rating: 15/20
Plot: A rookie cop partners up with a narcotics officer veteran who doesn't quite play by the rules. A battle for the rookie's soul ensues.
It's Hollywood grit, but it's good grit, and almost everything Denzel Washington says is poetry. There are a lot of dudes holding their guns sideways, the method preferred by four out of five gangstas, and the action scenes--the shoot-outs and ruckus-making--are often ludicrous and implausible. But the story remains gripping without with this conflict between the idealistic Ethan Hawke character and Washington's who might actually be just as idealistic if you think about it. This was filmed in some fairly dangerous locations, but I'm not sure if that really adds to any realism this might have. Actually, I don't know if I even want my movies like this to be all that realistic anyway. It flows like a modern urban Shakespearean tragi-comedy, often moves dick-first and topheavy, and it's better for it because the world doesn't need to hold their guns sideways for a movie like this to work. Denzel shines, lyrically bombastic, always on the edge of realism and cartoon. Alonzo's a good character, a cool cat that might have worked with any actor (probably a black one) filling the shoes, but Washington delivers the kind of performance that really makes the guy memorable. Hawke's ok, too, and there are times when he appears shrunken. He was classically trained in white boy strutting and wears brown leather as well as a good guy could. The rest of the cast is great, too, especially Macy Gray (that's Macy Gray?) with those fingernails, that silver tooth, and that incredible voice and Scott Glenn's Roger with his snail jokes and his forehead's resolve. And Eva Mendes' ass. That makes an appearance, completely unnecessarily unless you think about it and then it's the most necessary thing in the world. Oh, and Snoop Dogg? Who would have guessed that Snoop would turn out to be such a fine thespian? Really cool movie, though polished a little too hard. You know, for the crackers.
With all the great work Denzel has done, it's really strange that this is the one for which he received a best actor Oscar. It's been a long time since I've seen it, and the film is just not very memorable for me, perhaps because it felt kind of cliched. A 14, I guess.
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