101 of 115 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up for two extremely absorbing performances., March 19, 2002
I must say, my preconceptions about Training Day were all wrong. The trailer I saw in the theatres made it look like a belated ripoff of The Corruptor, while director Antoine Fuqua's disastrous fumble with The Replacement Killers several years ago did nothing to boost my confidence.
My doubts were dispelled the minute Denzel Washington looked up from his newspaper. It is indeed good to see Washington, one of the most gifted actors of our time, abandon the saintly martyrs he's been prone to playing for 10 years and sink his teeth into a role which allows him to show a mix of deep charisma and dangerous viciousness. That same alchemy had made his breakthrough performance in 1989's Glory amazingly compelling, and in Training Day, there isn't a single moment where Washington is less than completely absorbing. Ethan Hawke also gives the performance of his career as Jake Hoyt, an idealistic but easily swayed young cop who finds himself drawn into a web of corruption, violence, and twisted morals.
Fuqua's directing is still overly stylish at times, but after a hyperactive first act, the film begins to roar. David Ayer's script is dazzling, a combination of rat-a-tat street vernacular and relentless forward momentum, and after the midpoint of the movie, the intensity of the scenes would reach incredible levels. And that's when Fuqua's show-offy camerawork finds a raison d'etre. In this film, Fuqua even finds room for some comparatively simple scenes which are really like a breath of fresh air to his filmmaking -- for example, the "you're a leader" car scene, and that beautifully understated ending shot. I hope he makes this part of his regular style, because there's only so much virtuoso camera one can take before it gets tiring, as is the case in the opening of the film.
A white-knuckle thriller, well worthy of the accolades it received. I stand humbly corrected on my original predictions.
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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Blisteringly Brilliant Performances by Washington & Hawke, February 17, 2002
In all honesty, I had grown a bit tired of Denzel Washington's "goodie-two-shoes" roles in recent years, as great as they were. His performance in TRAINING DAY, however, has given me newfound respect for him as an actor. Not only does he play "the bad guy," but he milks it for all its worth - his Alonzo Harris would make Clint Eastwood's DIRTY HARRY look like Barney Fife from "The Andy Griffith Show." The last time I walked out of a movie theater so rattled was after seeing DANTE'S PEAK in the early '90s - mainly for its special effects. In TRAINING DAY, it was Denzel Washington's performance alone that blew me away! The fact that he has recently received his fifth Oscar nomination - and third for Best Actor - should come as no surprise.
Kudos also to Ethan Hawke for a great performance and a well-deserved Supporting Actor Oscar nod this year. Any young actor who can hang with the likes of Denzel Washington in a film like this DESERVES recognition. Hawke proves that he has a stellar film career ahead of him.
The Academy Awards telecast is March 24, and my money is on both these tremendous performers to come away with well-deserved Oscar gold. TRAINING DAY is a film with no special effects, no colorful cinematography, and no Picasso-esque art direction - just a movie that slaps you upside the hide from start to finish, with two powerhouse performances that stay with you long after the closing credits.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good Performances, Average Film, April 4, 2002
A brutal and disturbing film that attempts to connect you with the underbelly of the streets of downtown Los Angeles, while examining that fragile, thin line between those who enforce the law and those who break it, "Training Day," directed by Antoine Fuqua, is a cautionary morality tale that decidedly points out that what you do and who you are is a matter of free will and personal choice. Beyond the action, it's a study of human nature that explores the necessity of having a moral code by which to live, especially when confronted with that age-old seductress Evil, who can lure even the best of the best across that line from which there is no return. The most disconcerting aspect of the film, however, is in it's portrayal of those in high places who with facility betray those they are sworn to serve and protect, with their flagrant abuse of their position and power, and moreover, seemingly always manage to hold the high ground of advantage over those against whom their misdeeds are perpetrated. Indeed, the burden of proof must always fall to the good guy, and more often than not it is those endowed with a more positive, benevolent nature-- the ones who want to do the right thing-- that find justice elusive and become victims themselves, if only because of their refusal to compromise their own principles. And that is really what is at the heart of Fuqua's film, which very probably will take many viewers to a place they would rather not be. But, as Steve McQueen said in "Bullitt," when asked by his girlfriend how he can stand doing a job that keeps him so close to the gutter, "That's where half of it is--" And in today's world, unfortunately, it may well be that the percentage is even higher; which somewhat elevates the significance of this film.
Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke), a nineteen month veteran of the L.A.P.D., is about to begin his first day on a new assignment, having landed a spot in the Narcotics Division, where he will be a member of a small squad under the direction of Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington)-- if he measures up to Alonzo's stringent expectations. It's a job he wants, because he sees it as an opportunity to really do some good in the community; it's a place from which he can help rid the streets of drug dealers and other felons. But he quickly discovers that-- as most worthwhile things are in life-- it's just not that easy. As Alonzo is quick to point out, "If you want to protect the sheep from the wolf, you have to become a wolf. It's the wolf that catches the wolf--" Jake also learns that on this day he's going to have to make a lot of decisions, and make them quickly, without the luxury of time to consider all of the possible ramifications. And one of them is put to him directly by Alonzo, who tells him he's going to have to decide what he wants to be, a sheep-- or a wolf. It's something he's going to have to know by the end of the day; and Jake doesn't know it going in, but this day, his "Training Day," is going to be a day that will change his life forever.
Fuqua's film is presented honestly and in such a way that it successfully puts the viewer on the streets of L.A., and Jake and Alonzo are credible characters; but the motivation behind Alonzo's ruthlessness is fairly anemic and under-developed. The weakness of the film, in fact, lies in the screenplay (by David Ayer), which though it captures a certain sense of "street-wise" reality, is otherwise rather formulaic and doesn't really have the depth it needs to make it emotionally involving. ...As Alonzo, Denzel Washington gives an excellent performance-- and, quite frankly, this film would be less than average without him-- but whether or not it is deserving of an Oscar is open to speculation. Washington is one of the finest actors in the business, without question, and he's taken on some challenging roles (in which he's been very successful) that make this part pale by comparison. Alonzo Harris is more along the lines of Mel Gibson's Riggs in "Lethal Weapon," or Eastwood's Harry in "Dirty Harry," the difference being that Alonzo is the bad guy. It's a credit to Washington's ability that he was able to make this such a strong character, however, and his Alonzo is certainly believable and real. And, in retrospect, perhaps it is an Oscar-worthy performance; it had to be to overcome the weakness of the script and what he was given to work with. And, again, without Denzel Washington, this film plays for two weeks in the theater and is quickly forgotten when it hits the video store shelf.
Hawke gives a strong performance, as well, but that he received an Oscar nomination for it is the stuff of which debates are born. Like Washington, however, Hawke does do a good job of bringing his character to life, and it is one of the strengths of the film.
The supporting cast includes Tom Berenger (Stan), Harris Yulin (Doug) and Scott Glenn (Roger). In the final analysis, "Training Day" is elevated by the performances of it's stars; without them, this one has no legs.
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