Drama > Washington, Denzel Drama

A training day to remember

Advantages: Terrific acting, great plot, dark, compelling but intelligent
Disadvantages: Cop films might not suit all

Training Day was a film that instantly stood out to me as a must watch film due through the fact that Denzel Washington had been nominated for an Oscar for his performance in the film. Having always admired Denzel's talent as an actor, I was greatly anticipating this film. The central plot of the film is a young, slightly naive, wet behind the ears Ethan Hawke has joined the narcotics department he wants to make a difference and climb the ladder. ...
...indeed going to be Ethan's training day, but this is no ordinary training day and while first perceiving his officer's tactics as being unorthodox, he begins to realise that there is a much darker side to him. Jake's philosophies of a world in which justice is served within the system are in stark contrast to Alonso who sees it as a dog eat dog world in which rules are no boundary for his goals. This is where the table is set for the feast of action ...

grandchamp 20.10.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Training Day (DVD)

The Mafia ain't got nothing on this guy......

Advantages: Some powerful moments and acting
Disadvantages: Not as good as it should have been

I had visions of this being a masterpiece, it had been hyped up so much. What with awards nominations and rave reviews, big names such as director Ridley Scott and actors Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, and it being based on quite an interesting true story, I was really looking forward to it. And yes, it is good. Was it as good as I had expected? Probably not. It follows the the life of drug lord Frank Lucas (Denzel) who sets his business in ...
...the biggest drug runners in New York. After many failures and finding himself at the last chance saloon as far as his career goes, detective Ritchie Roberts (Crowe) tags onto the rumour mill and slowly but surely edges towards catching Lucas. This would be a multi-billion dollar operation stopped in its tracks. Or, it could be disastrous. Either way, one of them will find their career is over....for good. The acting from the two leads, let me just ...

pmcds 25.10.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of American Gangster (DVD)

The Bell Sounds

Advantages: Amazing story, Great Acting, wonderful movie
Disadvantages: Nothing

...he did not commit. The story follows Ruben "Hurricane" Carter (Denzel Washington) a professoinal boxing champion that is hunted throughout his life by a racist policeman intent on putting him behind bars for the rest of his life. It is his time in prison that Ruben tries to reach out to people and tell his side of the story by writing a book in prison. It is this book causes a change of events that lead to people reaching out to help Ruben. For ...

jai247 01.01.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of The Hurricane (DVD)

Nothing much wrong with this do!

Advantages: Cinematography, stellar cast, faithfulness to original
Disadvantages: Keanu Reeves' wooden villain

...to teach the story of Much Ado About Nothing to traditionally disinterested 13 year -old SATs students. Though, it sticks ridgidly to the original text it does so in a way that makes the text come alive using a combination of excellent acting, high production values and judiciously selected moments of slapstick. The comic moments are genuinely funny and the shoes of the relatively small parts of Dogberry and Verges are filled impressively by the ...
...am sure this joke owes much to Monty Python). Indeed the cast list is of the highest calibre from Shakespearean veterans such as Kenneth Brannagh to Hollywood A-listers in the form of Kate Beckinsdale. Keanu Reeves is typically wooden and Claudio has the charisma of a comatose gnat but there are the only real smudges on this multi-faceted diamond! The story of 'Much Ado' is fairly easy to follow but it gives you a chance to enjoy the word play ...

matt_1509 18.04.2007 · Read full review
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Review of Much Ado About Nothing (DVD)

John Q the truth

Advantages: sad meaningful film
Disadvantages: ...

only just watched John Q and it is brillaint, it is so meaning full and is excatly what is wrong with men of today. it is such a good film, it stars denzel washington which alone must means an excellent film. the film is not a action film really, although there are gun fights etc. it is more of a story of meaning than how many men can one man take down, denzal plays a dad whos sons heart has inflated along with his lungs. his son needs a new heart ...
...his insurance wont cover it and he has no other of getting the money unless he earns it (but does not have enough time to earn that amount), he then gets some money by charity, extra work etc but still no where near enough, in the end he has to take violent measures in order to save his son from death. this is excatly the film to inspire to, a dad willing to take his life to save his sons in two ways than one (watch it and youll see why its twos ...

Haig 01.04.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of John Q. (DVD)