Denzel
Washington has always been a consistently good actor. His
portrayal of "Malcolm X" was astonishing; his work as a prominent
attorney in "Philadelphia" was powerful; his
interpretation of Reuben 'Hurricane' Carter's story in "The
Hurricane" was unforgettable. You can add
"Training Day" to his list of incredible performances.
In
"Training Day", Denzel Washington does something he
normally does not do--he plays a villain. However, his
character Alonzo is not a typical villain. Throughout the
opening of the film, the audience sympathizes with his character
and understands that the way he does business is not entirely
without warrant--cops have to be somewhat more aggressive when
they patrol places like 'The Jungle', where there is only one way
in and one way out.
Ethan
Hawke is Hoyt, a cop who wants to be accepted into Washington's elite
group of undercover operatives. Washington takes Hoyt on
what he calls "training day" and opens his eyes to a
world of corrupt police work and murderous intent. Hawke is
a good cop who just wants to protect and serve and Washington is
merely wanting to pay off some Russians to whom he owes some money
from a bad night in Vegas.
Washington
is mesmerizing as the hard boiled, over the top Alonzo and Hawke
is perfectly cast as the 'play it by he books' rookie who merely
wants to advance to detective status. There are so many
powerful and memorable scenes in "Training Day".
The most memorable occurs when Hawke is left in the hands of some
very gangsterish Mexicans who put him through a very terrifying
experience in the bathroom. Washington delivers a powerful
and emotional speech at the end of the film, where he quotes a
probable classic movie line..."King Kong ain't got nuthin' on
me!"
"Training
Day" is not only one of the best films of the year, but also
features one of the best performances ever from Denzel Washington.
R & B superstars Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Macy Gray add life
to the film, and a fine cameo from Scott Glenn brings unity and a
veteran feel to the story. The performances are top notch,
the action level is intense, and the plotline flows smoothly and
without hitch. Add "Training Day" to your list of
must sees and start writing to the Academy so that Denzel
Washington gets a Best Actor nod at the Oscars. This film
was extraordinary and should not be avoided.
