Training Day
Starring: Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Dr. Dre
Directed By: Antoine Fuqua

It's been a long time since we've seen Denzel Washington act. I know he is considered by many to be one of the best actors out there. And he is. But as of late, he's done a lot of the same type of movies. He almost always plays the same role: the good cop or the oppressed black man. Finally, he's done a role that has reestablished my faith as him being one of the best actors in Hollywood. He straps on the role of Alonzo, the corrupt cop whose role it is to train Jake (Hawke), a rookie, his first day on the job. Alonzo is a narcotics officer, who bends the rules a bit, and is here to see if Jake will follow along. Training Day is set during one day in their lives together. It is a great thing that Denzel plays the crooked cop, who more and more throughout the movie you begin to loathe him, he's not just crooked he's bad. He gives a blistering, excellent performance which is already garnering him some Oscar buzz. Hawke plays Jake, the rookie, and it's a definite step up for Hawke who has great potential. The two play off of each other well, and that's good considering they are the only people on screen for most of the movie. Some will be offended that Washington is playing such a badass, but it's great to see him stretch and he certainly gains my approval. The film is so raw and rough that it gives great feeling to it. There are some great shots and the gun shoot-out towards the middle of the movie is excellent. It's just an altogether good movie. B+