DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS
A film review by S. Elkins
Copyright 1995 S. Elkins
DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS: Detective thriller in 1948 LA, based on a book I haven't read.
Plot Kickoff: Easy Rollins takes a job to find a white woman who's gone missing.
Characters/Acting: Denzel Washington is convincing as Easy; his transition from a mild-mannered guy through anger and frustration make his later actions convincing. He also does a great job playing the humor, and there is a lot of humor in this movie, straight so it shines through. Jennifer Beals (FLASHDANCE, THE BRIDE (opposite Sting as Victor Frankenstein)) is fine as the woman on the run. Mouse, Easy's dangerous friend, is played by whoever plays the district attorney on PICKET FENCES. If they make a sequel I hope he's in it too.
Cinematography: I liked the title sequence a lot, shot against a painting (moving over the different scenes of the neighborhood in the painting). Still, as far as the picture goes, I think the big screen isn't a must, if you want to wait to rent.
Sound/Score: On the other hand, the great jazz soundtrack would lose out unless you have a really good sound system attached to your TV.
Skin/situations: Actually not that much skin per se, but there is an earthy (and funny) sex scene.
Violence: Yep. Certainly not the most violent or gory I've seen in the past few months, though.
Language: Racial slurs, other profanity.
Analysis: I really liked this movie. The main character was smart enough to put the puzzle pieces together (most of 'em, anyway), and I liked the themes of loyalty, friendship, and community that kept coming up. There was more to this thriller than just the surface plot, and yet it wasn't burdened by a lot of heavy-handed social commentary either.
-- selkins@freenet.vcu.edu
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