I saw Training Day last night and really liked it. It gets very, very tense in several places, but it's good. Denzel is fascinating in this role---possibly more interesting than I've ever seen him be and I generally find him an interesting and multi-layered actor.
The problems I noticed with the film are that it's sometimes hard to follow the action because you're not sure why some things are being done although this may have been a "choice" in order to give the audience the same feeling of disorientation as Hawke's character. Additionally, I think they're not so sly as they think they are----there are only a couple of really good "surprise" moments in the film. This isn't a bad thing, but I have a feeling they wanted the audience to be a little less certain of the outcome of events.
At any rate, it's a good action flick, tolerable on the "ethics" front---doesn't get too moralistic---, and involves some excellent performances. Not just Denzel but I'm thinking especially of the secondary/tertiary characters. The scene at Mexican gang-bangers' house is one of the best in the film. SnoopDogg has a cameo and I could have sworn the woman in the pink housecoat was Macy Gray...
(pops over to IMDB.com)
well, Hell, it WAS Macy Gray. Very cool cameo. Dr. Dre also has a cameo but I don't recall which one it was since I don't recognize him as easily as others.
Not much to say about Ethan Hawke. He does a good job in the straight-man role but it's nothing to get hopped up over. Not his fault just not a very showy role.
