Down and dirty with Denzel

Denzel Washington won an Oscar for his portrayal of rogue cop Alonzo Harris in Training Day. Whether he deserved the award or not, he certainly grabs the attention as the narcotics officer with the LAPD who likes to bend the rules. The set-up is pretty standard fare; Ethan Hawke plays the rookie cop looking for a place in the narc squad, and Washington plays the street-savvy detective who's job it is to decide whether the kid can make the grade.

It starts out feeling like most typical buddy-cop movies (think bleak and washed out Seven rather than Beverly Hills Cop), but when things start to take a sinister twist you're left following a trail of destruction that sucks you in and spits you out. Understated Hawke is superb as the conscientious Jake Hoyt, using his nervous, sallow looks to good effect as the officer struggling to come to terms with abuse of the system. Washington is superb as he moves away from his usual stock character and gets to prove he's not just an Upstanding Member of the Black Community (TM).

The plot gets a little convoluted, but none of the surprises are too quick to follow - and there are cameos from Snoop Doggy Dogg, Dr Dre and Macy Gray for those of a musical bent. In the end, Training Day is a film about ethics - and whether the police should fight fire with fire. Visually, it's impressive. Morally, it walks a tightrope. It's just a shame the bombastic ending doesn't leave any grey areas. (BJ)