In a year where movies continue to fail to risk, in a year where there are barely any standout performances, and in a time
where studios are uncertain about putting violence on the screen, there is
Training Day.
Ethan Hawke is the naive young cop who ventures into inner city Los Angeles, teaming up with veteran undercover cop Denzel Washington, who doesn''t play much at all by the books. Hawke is uncertain about many of Washington''s methods, but continues to abide by them... that is, for a while. Then, Hawke begins to realize that this man who has been sworn to protect the innocent and take down the bad guys... may be a bad guy himself.
Training Day marks the real end of the summer season and the beginning of the rest of 2001... hopefully. Where the rest of this dreadful year has been filled with waist-high crap, Training Day hits a note not heard in a long while. It''s not perfect, but it is far from badness, and might call itself home to an Oscar nomination should Denzel Washington please the important critics enough.