Training Day (2001)
Growing Pains
28 October 2001
What Denzel Washington does in this movie is similar with what

Sean Connery did in the Hunt for Red October, or Al Pacino did in

the Scent of a Woman; he simply outnumbered other casts.

From the beginning, like Ethan Hawke, we look at him with a full

awe, such charisma and control and logical reasons towards all

the violence and crimes he does. And sitting on the third seat with

these two characters later proven to be a joyride between realism

and idealism flick, similar like what Gene Hackman and Willem

Dafoe fighting in Mississippi Burning.

The mean streets of Los Angeles are well presented, we simply

look at the violence and somehow, with Denzel Washington

charm, suddenly we're wondering what kind of life Ethan Hawke

live in, which puts him in such idealism... he's a pure hero

schoolboy plunged into a pond of hell which he supposed to know

all the time.

Apart from that, the sympathy and charms which supposed to be

drawn into our growing pains towards Denzel character remains

there. That's the beauty of it, we are so deep with this character

and we can see his madness and his end with some understanding and acceptance.

Indeed this is one of Denzel Washington's excellent-steady

performance. His stare, his goove, his move, indeed casting him

in this movie is the best thing the producer have done. And for Ethan Hawke, okay, he's there the way he's suppose to be,

the usual boyish purity and idealism. I just hope he can deliver

more developing characters as he have done in Alive.

As for the storyline, the basic frame is nice, and blend nicely in

everyday's violence, but the pure luck of the rookie somehow blew

it up... followed with somehow-a forceful ending.

Training Day starts with a realistic starts, but later ends with

idealistic standard scripts... but still it's an incredible movie to

watch.

Highly recommended for evening movie.
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