Review of Devil in a Blue Dress (1995) by Filipeneto — 11 Aug 2019

Hardworking, discreet Ezekiel Rawlins was just looking for a job to pay the bills and live normally, but the need eventually forces him to accept something different: as a detective, he must look for the girlfriend of a powerful Los Angeles politician who seems to have run away with another man. But things get more complicated when he realizes that she may have been involved with mobsters and very dangerous people who may have every interest in liquidating him.

Summed up like this, the plot is absolutely promising, and in fact, I was well attached to the plot, curious to know what had happened to this mysterious woman. It is a script that has many twists and turns and, in itself, does not fill us with boredom nor did it seem too predictable. But I think the plot would not have the strength it has without the environment that was created around it. In fact, director Carl Franklin skillfully and elegantly blended the gangster and mystery genres with light touches of "blaxploitation" in the middle, harmonizing and giving the film a high dose of charm packed in jazz. The time in which all takes place (late forties) helps a lot: we can still admire those mythical cars with protruding fenders and chrome radiators and that Bugsy Siegel-style fedora hats. The director carefully recreated the period, aware of the impact it would have. To help, he has inserted a good soundtrack, that knows how to stand out at the right times, making the environment more dense and mysterious, enriching the final product.

In the midst of such quality, I would almost venture to say that the cast just needs not to ruin everything. In fact, we are so absorbed by the film's ambience and our own curiosity about the plot that we hardly notice the way actors take their characters and bring them to life. This is not something that stands out, unlike most films, where cast can ruin the entire movie. But that does not mean that the actors did not work well. Though not the best movie, Denzel Washington has done his job well and starred brilliantly with Don Cheadle, who has a more impactful and intense character. On the other hand, all the actresses were in the shadow and do not stand out, starting with Jennifer Beals, who seems to be too lazy to act in this movie, just appearing and saying the lines they paid her to say. Lisa Nicole Carson has a brief appearance, but she makes a character that will prove important and has brought to life one of the most laughable sex scenes I've ever seen in movies.

Bottom line: This is not a piece of art but its a good piece of entertainment. By investing heavily in a mystery environment, it can engage the audience and draw our attention to a strong and charming story using the means at its disposal but, with the exception of two or three actors, the cast didn't help much and some people will think this movie is just scenery and music.