This is a good standard and efficient thriller starring Denzel Washington. The film is pretty routine but by having Denzel the film is given extra class. Anyway the story centers around Denzel's character, Matt Whitlock a police chief. He is seeing married woman Ann Merai Harrison (Sanaa Lathan) behind the back of major league A-hole Chris (Dean `Superman' Cain). Ann is dying of cancer and she and Denzel want to be together but the problem is she has to have expensive treatment abroad. Ann transfers her life insurance policy and makes Matt the sole beneficiary. When they decide to cash in on the policy Denzel loses his sense of morals and is overcome by his love for Ann. He steals $500,000 of confiscated drugs money that is in an evidence lock up. He give it to Ann and sets up a meeting. He knows that further down the line they can cash the insurance policy and he can return the money without anyone noticing because as he points out: `These goods can be left un-checked for months'. Problems arise however when he goes to meet Ann and she has apparently been burnt alive in her house. He had been there earlier in the night and was spotted by a nosy neighbour so Denzel is now in trouble, he was spotted by someone and he has motive to have killed her. He soon discovers that she was not in fact ill and is actually still alive. It seems she was hustling him good and proper and Den must now investigate secretly to discover her whereabouts, retrieve the drug money (which is now to be collected by IA as luck would have it).
The film is un-demanding, simple stuff to be honest. The plot doesn't get too convoluted and the pacing is good. The twists and turns happen at good moments and keep the entertainment levels constant. Denzel is excellent albeit in a role he could do with one arm tied behind his back, his eyes closed and with a pineapple lodged between his butt-cheeks. Eva Mendes that saucy Latin minx is also good as Denzels ex-wife who becomes suspicious of his increasingly nervy and strange behaviour. Sanaa Lathan is also good as is John Billingsley as Matt's slobbish friend. The one who really impressed me though was Dean Cain in a superbly nasty role as Lathan's abusive husband. Cain has never really found much success in his movie career doing cheap action movies that gather dust on the bottom shelves of Blockbusters. It is a shame really because Cain is likeable and has some charisma. He was good in Superman but a lot of TV stars are unable to make the transition to movie star because it requires a different kind of presence and charisma. Lorenzo Lamas is an example of someone similar. He looks a worse actor than he is having done so many low budget b pictures. For me seems too nice to be an action man. If he only takes some of the hardness and nastiness from this role and transfers it to his heroic roles he might get better offers in lead roles. However I don't seeing him as a leading man to be honest. He really does give a good performance in this and I'd like to see him in a few bigger films.
Carl Franklin directs proceedings with assurance and when the action kicks in he paces it well, he is good and safe without having the exceptional in his locker. Graeme Revell is a composer who is generally hit and miss and this score is hit. It is nicely understated and works well. All in all this is good entertainment. ***
The film is un-demanding, simple stuff to be honest. The plot doesn't get too convoluted and the pacing is good. The twists and turns happen at good moments and keep the entertainment levels constant. Denzel is excellent albeit in a role he could do with one arm tied behind his back, his eyes closed and with a pineapple lodged between his butt-cheeks. Eva Mendes that saucy Latin minx is also good as Denzels ex-wife who becomes suspicious of his increasingly nervy and strange behaviour. Sanaa Lathan is also good as is John Billingsley as Matt's slobbish friend. The one who really impressed me though was Dean Cain in a superbly nasty role as Lathan's abusive husband. Cain has never really found much success in his movie career doing cheap action movies that gather dust on the bottom shelves of Blockbusters. It is a shame really because Cain is likeable and has some charisma. He was good in Superman but a lot of TV stars are unable to make the transition to movie star because it requires a different kind of presence and charisma. Lorenzo Lamas is an example of someone similar. He looks a worse actor than he is having done so many low budget b pictures. For me seems too nice to be an action man. If he only takes some of the hardness and nastiness from this role and transfers it to his heroic roles he might get better offers in lead roles. However I don't seeing him as a leading man to be honest. He really does give a good performance in this and I'd like to see him in a few bigger films.
Carl Franklin directs proceedings with assurance and when the action kicks in he paces it well, he is good and safe without having the exceptional in his locker. Graeme Revell is a composer who is generally hit and miss and this score is hit. It is nicely understated and works well. All in all this is good entertainment. ***