Review of Training Day (2001) by Noisette M — 07 May 2011

I can definitely see why an African American film enthusiast might really dislike this movie seeing as how Denzel Washington had made a career out of playing dignified and mostly famous African Americans and THIS is what got him his Best Actor Oscar. It's like the Academy said Malcolm X? Bah, that's not how black people behave, pull out a Gat say nigga in every other sentence and behave in an illegal and immoral manner? THAT'S how black people behave. I however, realize the Academy Awards are silly and therefore this is one of my favorite movies. While the movie is entirely implausible its look at LA is gritty and damn near realistic as a result of Director Antoine Fuqua's actually directing it, in some of the worst areas of LA. We're talking The Jungles, Hoover Block and indeed Imperial Courts the first time Gangs had allowed a film to be made in the latter. The authentic on location shots and the passing glances from most likely random people in the streets in some of the bad areas add to Jake's feeling of being out of place while also enforcing Alonzo's feeling of just the opposite... But how successful is this movie of tapping into the urban scene, ultimately is it successful at gaining legitimacy in the street culture or does it come across as laughably misguided? Let's take a look my nigga.

This is one of those wonderful movies that narratively takes place in a 24 hour period and pulls it off shockingly well. Our protagonist is Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke who shows uncommon versatility and provides the perfect foil for Washington) a beat cop with aspirations of being a Narcotics Officer. However to achieve this lofty aspiration he must survive a trial by fire of sorts shadowing another Narcotics Officer for a day, Alonzo Harris (Washington who is fucking magnetic in this movie managing to in every other scene either attract or repel and being both incredibly likeable and a crazy asshole with a God complex). Jake is the type of honest cop that you read about in story books and unfortunately for him Harris has been under too long to the point the line between him and the thugs you encounter are heavily blurred not that he doesn't always have a bullshit explanation for his actions. We'll see him rob countless petty criminals but always let them go, rob the house of a gang leader's wife (Macy Gray who gets a little too into the hood rat role), and even stab a friend in the back in the worst possible way; all leaving Jake with the same question, What is right and what is wrong? Is he a sheep or a WOLF?

This movie may wish it was deeper than it actually is but the story is a tour de force of intriguing dialogue, sparse action and a story that while always sticking to the same line twists and turns a few times taking you along for the ride. As I'm sure you can tell from my description this movie could benefit heavily from a colorful and talented supporting cast but its lucky the movie's interesting enough and Hawke and Washington are damn good enough that it's not necessary because talent is hard to be found here. Macy Gray Snoop Dogg and Cliff Curtis have fun in their respective thug roles and I enjoyed the scenes with Scott Glenn in a particularly bad ass turn which is particularly masterful since he never leaves his arm chair except to answer the door. Everyone else is pretty unremarkable and some supporting cast members like Dr. Dre probably brought in solely to lend street credibility to the production should stick with their respective careers. I don't understand that a major point of debate in this film is the ending which a lot of people even those who liked everything else were not entirely impressed by because I quite enjoyed. I won't ruin to much but it's one of my favorite actions scenes of all time and shows Fuqua more than knows how to handle a gun fight. I particularly loved its use of long continuous cuts which made the scene all the more drawn out and therefore brutal and intense. And I love how they could have easily made Jake change in the 24 Hour period and commit the murder he had the opportunity too but he leaves with his grace intact which makes him one of my favorite and most respected characters of all time.

If you couldn't tell I loved this movie and I view it as one hundred percent a great work in film. It has an authentic LA Hood feel though I've never lived in one so I can't really confirm that and has two of the strongest characters in the declining genre of crime movies in the 21st Century. The settings and stories are riveting and seem to flow well throughout the movie even if it doesn't seem possible for all this too have occurred in a single day. You ultimately leave the movie thinking and unsure of how you feel about what just transpired and what it all means and for a "Hood" movie that's one hell of an accomplishment as the genre has suffered greatly in the past. It indulges in wickedness and immorality but ultimately must stick with the straight and narrow in order to effectively portray its message. Though in a closing thought giving Jake's perspective a green filter when he smokes weed was a little silly.