Hollyfeld, here. I had the chance to see Training Day last night and I am certainly glad I did. Director Antoine Fuqua (The Replacement Killers, Bait) has crafted what is easily the best film of his career, and, somewhat surprisingly, the best film noir since L.A. Confidential. A grim and gritty police story in the classic fifties fashion (with 21st century sensibilities, of course), Training Day is quite possibly on its way to my top ten films of the year.
 The film's trailer gives an excellent summation of the film's plot without giving too much away (for a change) - Ethan Hawke (Hamlet, Before Sunrise) stars as rookie cop Jake Hoyt, vying for a position on the L.A.P.D.'s prestigious narcotics department. On his first day he is assigned to veteran cop Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington), who shows Jake the ropes in his own inimitable fashion - attempting to teach the idealistic rookie the necessity of exacting justice in a decidedly cynical, realistic way. As the film continues and we get to know Alonzo more and more closely, we are forced to ask ourselves. Just how corrupt is Alonzo Harris? And is he worse than the criminals he apprehends?
 Denzel Washington is one of the best actors in mainstream Hollywood filmmaking, and his talent is extremely evident here. Part Shaft, part Orson Welles in Touch of Evil, and just a little bit of Michael Douglas in Falling Down, Alonzo Harris is a complex character of conflicting motivations. His motives are constantly in question throughout the film, but just as we are about to write him off as simply evil, he turns around with a dynamite monologue explaining and damn near excusing his behavior. Until the final scenes it is almost impossible to tell if he is evil incarnate, or just fallen from grace. Denzel is disarmingly charismatic in a potentially thoroughly unlikable role, injecting Alonzo with a devilish charm and wicked sense of humor that lesser actors would probably have eschewed in favor of hard-boiled detective clichés. It may very well be my favorite performance of his career. Ethan Hawke is also surprisingly exceptional in his role (I'm not a huge fan), also achieving a potential career high as the conflicted Jake Hoyt. We can see the gears turning behind his eyes as he attempts to rationalize the increasingly disturbing behavior of his superior officer, keeping us guessing as to whether or not he will follow in Alonzo's footsteps. Strong and effective stuff.
Much will certainly be made of the numerous cameos in this film, particularly from musical personalities Snoop Dogg, Macy Grey and Dr. Dre, but unlike other films with cameos of this nature, their inclusion does not detract or distract from the overall film. In particular, the trio deserves considerable credit for appearing in such unappealing lights as a disabled drug dealer, decidedly unappealing housewife and corrupt cop, respectively. There is also another unexpected cameo from a well-known actor, but I enjoyed its inclusion so much that I've decided not to mention it.. The three chief police are all recognizable actors, but their fairly small amount of screen time makes their appearance all the more interesting - as if they are the primary characters of another movie, who simply affect Training Day's narrative in a less direct way.
 After seeing The Replacement Killers, I find myself surprised that Antoine Fuqua was able to craft so excellent a drama as Training Day, although I am pleased to no end that he did. As mentioned earlier, the film capitalizes on the best aspects of various films - the justified police corruption of Touch of Evil, the hipness of the most recent incarnation of Shaft, and even the gritty, pessimistic view of Los Angeles as described in Joel Schumacher's classic Falling Down. Although occasionally surreal in its depiction of police corruption (Hoyt's unusual drug experience, for example), the film never loses either its focus or its reality - Alonzo's behavior never seems too far beyond the bounds of possibility. Is his behavior really necessary for the safety of the public, we wonder? Do the ends justify means? Not easy questions to answer. No one seems innocent in Training Day, resulting in a complex array of emotional attachments in the film. Although Washington is fascinating to watch in his performance, we find ourselves uncomfortable with his actual character. Only Jake Hoyt, who has yet to be corrupted, seems sympathetic, and only then if he makes the right choices on this incredibly crucial day.
I have a fondness for films about L.A., which is part of the reason that films like Falling Down and Training Day strike a particular chord for me. They speak to both the fantasies and realities of life in this very strange city - how we wish things would be, how they are, and how we like to fantasize reacting to that reality. There is a certain glamour to the anti-social behavior of the characters, and yet we still root for idealism to win the day - we want the Los Angeles of our dreams, not the violence of our fantasies. And in the end, although it is a difficult decision to make, Jake Hoyt must choose one vision over another. Alonzo may tell him that ideals and even love will hurt him on the mean streets, but those noble attributes are the only things that can save him from temptation.
Antoine Fuqua has directed a fine piece of filmmaking from every angle, with strong, real characters and a landscape that is at the same time real, familiar and frightening. Training Day may not open until late September, but it's worth marking your calendar now so as not to miss it.
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