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Training Day (2001) on Wednesday 9th May at 9pm
We’ve seen this story played out on many occasions by some fine actors – a mismatched cop duo with very different ideas of law and justice are thrown together and sent out to work on the streets.
Well, this movie may have that familiar structure in place, but it injects a whole new lease of life into the formula with its unexpected script and excellent lead performances. Denzel Washington, is the hardened LAPD undercover narcotics expert tasked with showing Ethan Hawke, a young and inexperienced policeman, the seedier side of the streets, where he wields his particular kind of justice. It’s action-packed and gritty, and the story isn’t a million miles away from the police corruption cases which dogged LAPD throughout the 1990s.
They said: Sometimes a great actor is all you need to turn a formula cop flick into knockout action entertainment. Denzel Washington, who just keeps getting better, is a sparking, snapping live wire in the role of Detective Sgt. Alonzo Harris, the leader of an elite LAPD undercover narcotics squad. Rolling Stone
Director Antoine Fuqua has delivered a stylish film and his screenwriter has provided a script which is packed with authentic dialogue. What’s more, Denzel Washington has been given some killer lines which give his complex and morally ambiguous character extra impact.
Denzel Washington was richly rewarded for his knock-out performance and picked up the Best Actor Award at the Oscars. His co-star, Ethan Hawke, was rightly nominated as Best Supporting Actor for his performance, and it is a credit to him that to that he could shine as brightly in his role, alongside his larger-than-life co-star. They work incredibly well as a team and their performances are supported by a very able cast including Scott Glenn, Tom Berenger, Eva Mendes and singer Macy Gray, in her debut film role as well as Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg.
A day in the life of an undercover LAPD narcotics team turns out to be a real eye-opener for rookie, Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke). His mentor is the tough and uncompromising Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington) who plans a ‘baptism of fire’ for his fellow cop. Alonzo is uncompromising in meting out his own particular form of justice and as the day progresses he reveals more and more of his unorthodox policing methods pushing his recruit into brutal and dangerous situations. It’s a fast-paced thriller, full of action and a story that’ll keep you engaged right up to the stunning climax.
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