The problem with American films when they try to tackle ‘weighty’ issues (i.e. drugs, abortion, corruption in Govt departments...) is that they always stuff it up by applying their happy ending, nothing-too-complex rule of film making. Characters can’t be multi-layered or morally complicated because people in Nebraska can’t handle that shit. The government can’t really be against us, and the police have to be cleared of any wrongdoing. Always. Otherwise we really are in trouble. ‘Training Day’ is a welcome smack in the teeth to these conventions. Hawke is an inexperienced L.A. rookie Jake Hoyt, recently transferred to the detective division and placed under the supervision of Alonzo Harris (Washington). In an interesting application of the police training manual, Harris gives fresh meat Jake angel dust, and makes him smoke it under the threat of ‘a bullet in his head’. Welcome to the real City of Angels in the 21st Century. To survive, Denzel has had to play a tricky game of getting busts while keeping the bad boys on side. His extra-curricular deals look like they might unravel on the ‘Training Day’ of the title, when some disgruntled Russian gangsters want to kill Harris as the result of a deal that has gone sour. Hoyt inevitably gets up to his neck in his new boss’s problem, and by the time Cliff Curtis turns up as an avenging barrio brother, it really looks like his goose is cooked.

This level of corruption goes on in most police departments (even New Zealand, with undercover cops routinely buying and using dope to get collars). So it’s great to see ‘Training Day’ is mature and honest enough to concede from the start that this is the state of play, and make a smart, snappy, piece of Hollywood baloney out of it. Good stuff.

Also, I always complain about black actors never actually playing black men, just white guys with black faces (Morgan Freeman is the worst offender at this) but Washington’s Alonzo is totally on the nail. From trying to be down with the boys in the hood, meeting with the top white brass in a sleazy diner or cruising the streets lecturing Jake on life on the streets, he has a face and an emotion for every occasion. A dangerous man at the best of times, with his back against the wall he’s coming out swinging, ready to do anything to survive. Alonzo sizzles and destroys as he struggles with his demons: he sees himself as a saint of the people on the street, while the people see him as a slave of The Man. It’s great to see this from Washington after so many ‘noble’ roles. Bravo as well to writer David Ayer, atoning very well for the extremely crappy U571. A full-on, violent, trashy intelligent film. See it.