Haven't been here for years... all new and shiny these days.
Haven't been here for years... all new and shiny these days.
Member since:31.10.2000
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Whilst Training Day failed to make a significant impact at the UK Box Office, the acclaim induced by an Oscar winning performance by Denzel Washington ensured that it’s DVD sales have been much more impressive. I figured that it was about time that I found out what all the fuss was about and recently acquired a copy for a very reasonable £12.97 from Tescos.
The Film
Training Day is a cop movie, although it is a far cry from the succession of buddy movies that have flooded onto our screen lead by the genre defining Lethal Weapon. This is a hard-hitting story of the ugly, and no doubt infinitely more realistic, side of police life with corruption, brutality and betrayal taking the place of heroism, action and camaraderie. Director Alonzo Fuqua introduces us to a myriad of complex moral issues that face undercover police officers in downtown LA before, unfortunately, sacrifices the intriguing examination of them in favour of weak showdown finale.
Ethan Hawke plays rookie cop, Jake Hoyt, who is taken on a ‘Training Day’ by tough, streetwise Alonzo Harris,
the cop in charge of LAPD’s special narcotics unit. The dynamic between the two main protagonists is quickly established in their coffee shop meeting, which is one of the finest scenes in the movie, with Harris’s quick-talking charisma easily winning over the eager-to-impress Hoyt. As the film progresses Hoyt is tempted and tested by the devilish Harris into transgressing the law he claims to hold so sacrosanct, gradually we are introduced to the darker, ego-driven side of the undercover legend. Unfortunately for Hoyt, by the time he appreciates the scale of the corruption, he is implicitly implicated and has seemingly no way out of his unfortunate predicament.
There is much to praise about Training Day, it is a brave and unflinching look at the futility that faces the LAPD, with a sojourn ‘across the line’ necessary to fight the drug situation that appears to be spiralling out of control. Denzil Washington is near his mesmerizing best in a role that is markedly different from any other he has played, his energy and charisma literally blister the screen, sadly the unfurling of his characters mental state is a little too rapid and betrays the films early convictions. Hawke is equally impressive as the ambitious young officer whose eagerness leaves him open to manipulation from his mentor, it is a role that should finally push him firmly into the A-list limelight.
Director Alonzo deserves praise for his intelligent direction, avoiding cinematic gimmickry and instead allowing the two powerful lead performances to be the driving force of the film. The filming of the piece in authentic L.A. locations also adds to the gritty sense of realism that is often missing in films of this nature. It is a shame that the ending feels too manipulated and rushed after such an impressive opening and because of this I can’t bring myself to give it more than 3.5 out of 5. This is an interesting, stylish and well-directed film that just fails to shine as brightly as it should have.
DVD Extras
In a word, disappointing. I’m still at a loss as to why, with the wealth of possibilities that the DVD format has, studios still fail to take the time to produce a worthy set of Extras.
The extras supplied are basically the standard set with a couple of unwelcome additions. The Commentary over the film supplied by Antoine Fuqua and is both interesting and insightful, he carefully deconstructs many of the key scenes and their relative importance in the film, as well as supplying a good deal of background information.
The ever present ‘Making of’ documentary is standard fare and whilst mildly entertaining doesn’t really sparkle. The highlights of the Extras are the deleted scenes that inexplicably didn’t make the film. In these we gain more insight into the past of the two lead characters, including the reasons for Alonzo’s harsh methods. All the scenes that failed to make the final cut would, in my mind, have improved the pacing and impact of the film, but at least they’ve been included in this section.
The remaining extras include two dire music videos from Nelly and Pharoahe Monch, the latter has for some unfathomable reason been edited to exclude the gratuitous expletives. The film is an 18 so why this was deemed necessary is quite beyond me. The last and least wanted extra is an alternative ending that is so hopelessly out of touch with the film it is not worth watching.
Conclusion
A movie that promised so much and gained Denzil Washington a long overdue Oscar (although I believe Will Smith should have been the recipient) unfortunately fell slightly short of the high expectations I had. The movie in places is gripping and both the acting and directing top notch but the ending is disappointing and the DVD extras even more so. Hence an unremarkable 3 stars for this one… my advice is to rent not buy.
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Production Year: 1957 - Drama - Director: Leo McCarey - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Cathleen Nesbitt, Deborah Kerr, Cary Grant, Richard Denning, Neva Patterson, Fortunio Bonanova
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
A powerhouse performance by Denzel Washington fuelsTraining Day, a brutal urban police ... more
drama in which a rookie narcotics cop learns the hard way that even good cops can go very, very bad. Washington plays veteran detective Alonzo Harris, a self-proclai...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
A powerhouse performance by Denzel Washington fuelsTraining Day, a brutal urban police ... more
drama in which a rookie narcotics cop learns the hard way that even good cops can go very, very bad. Washington plays veteran detective Alonzo Harris, a self-proclai...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Advantages: Shows you the correct form for weight training, only 45 mins long Disadvantages: Music, Kirsch himself, better for someone new to exercise.
![Training Day [2002] [DVD]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78520981.jpg "Training Day [2002] [DVD]")
Sep 10th, 2002
very helpful by (100%):
![Training Day [Blu-ray] [2001]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78229516.jpg)
