Review of Training Day (2001) by James S — 08 May 2016

This is a film that rests entirely on the strength of its two leads. This isn't so much a criticism as it is a testament to what fantastic actors Ethan Hawke and Denzel Washington are. For the first two thirds of the movie, the director gives us the opportunity to act as a fly on the wall.

We get to observe these two very different people (the idealistic Jake and the cynical Alonzo) laugh, argue, help, and betray each other over the course of a single day and it makes for a truly great character study.

It's unfortunately during the last third when the film starts to falter. It requires a major suspension of disbelief and things become a little too convenient for such an otherwise realistic movie.

Still, this is a movie that deserves to be checked out, if nothing else, for Hawke and Washington.