Training Day

A very well written and excellently directed crime drama, where two actors shine above all. Both Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke have their deserved nomination (or Oscar) and deliver truly excellent performances in this gritty ride. The depiction of the flip side of L.A. is not as impressive as Michael Mann's, but the rawness and commitment to the black community is evident here, and most sequences taking place in the dark gang hideouts are very interesting, with a constant dose of tension. Washington is truly a brutal motherfucking “nigga” and fully embraces his role. Also, the “blow everything up in one day” approach by the director was interesting and somewhat innovative. (19/05/2006)

I have to agree with the majority opinion. While Denzel won an Oscar for this film, I think Ethan Hawke's performance was somewhat overlooked. The audience fully immersed themselves in his role, from which there was essentially no escape. He played the rookie role with real finesse, and his transformation from a naive young man to someone who understands the corruption within law enforcement was impressive. On the other hand, it’s not a groundbreaking film that would knock me off my seat. Denzel delivered his standard performance as a detective playing by his own rules, a character archetype that’s well-established in cinema. Nothing surprising, but it served its purpose. The intense dialogues between Hawke and Washington were a joy to watch. The action was present but sparse, as Antoine Fuqua seemed more focused on depicting the darker side of police work, which he did quite well. I might have expected a more chilling ending that would leave a stronger impression, and as it stands, it fizzled out a bit. Still, I recommend it, and I give it 79%. (03/09/2018)

A police officer can do everything, is the basic axiom that experienced veteran Denzel Washington pulls out on the rookie he is accepting onto his team. Training Day is a stylized probe into the world of drug dealers, corrupt police officers, junkies, street gangs, and the filth of the city. During a single day, the protagonist played by Ethan Hawke loses any illusions about his profession, colleagues, and police career. It's a shame about the Hollywood clichés, which mainly affected the dragged-out finale and the necessary happy ending with the punishment of evil. Overall impression: 80%. (14/01/2010)

After this year's Academy Awards, I railed against the academics for not giving the Oscar to Russell Crowe, but after watching Training Day, I have to give them credit because Denzel Washington really got me. And not only him, but also Ethan Hawke, who also deserved the golden baldie. The film itself also deserves praise, it features a lot of directorial ideas and has an interesting plot. PS: You must see the original version, the bad dubbing brings the final rating down... (01/06/2002)