TRAINING DAY (2001) / ***
Directed by Antoine Fuqua. Screenplay by David Ayer. Starring Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Scott Glenn. Running time: 122 minutes. Rated R by the MFCB. Reviewed on October 15th, 2001.
By SHANNON PATRICK SULLIVAN
Synopsis: Young policeman Jake Hoyt (Hawke) wants to join an elite narcotics task force run by Alonzo Harris (Washington). As a trial run, Hoyt accompanies Harris for a day, only to discover that Harris' tactics are scarcely better than those of the crooks themselves. As Hoyt descends farther into Harris' world, it soon appears that he will have to give himself over to his mentor's point of view -- or face the consequences.
Review: Despite its topical nature, "Training Day" is a movie likely to be remembered less for its storyline than for the performances which enrich it. Washington and Hawke are incredible to watch, crafting rich characters with little obvious effort. As Harris, Washington treads just close enough to outlandishness to be memorable, without losing his gritty real-world roots. He is a villain, but one borne of all the corrupt bureaucrats and civil servants which darken our places of power. Hawke, on the other hand, is comparatively naive, but not to the point of ludicrousness. Hoyt is appalled by Harris' actions, but is worldly enough to accept them and try to deal with them; the concept of a man like Harris is not completely beyond the bounds of his reality. To these proceedings, Fuqua brings a raw, snappy directorial style, favouring minimality over excess. When Hoyt is high on pot, Fuqua reflects this with little more than a sickly yellow haze onscreen, eschewing more flamboyant effects. Unfortunately, while Ayer's script is riveting at first, it goes somewhat off the rails in the final reel, burdened with a dubious chain of coincidences and an overblown Hollywood climax. Nonetheless, as a character drama and as a stark reminder that life on the urban streets -- be it as denizen or as cop -- is never black and white, "Training Day" is compelling.
Copyright © 2001 Shannon Patrick Sullivan. Archived at The Popcorn Gallery, http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sps/movies.html
| Shannon Patrick Sullivan | shannon@mun.ca | +---------------------------------+---------------------------------+ / Doctor Who: A Brief History of Time (Travel) go.to/drwho-history \ \__ We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars __/
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