Training Day

After a series of nice-guy roles, Denzel Washington gets all nasty with his portrayal of Alonzo, a crooked narcotics cop whose protect-and-serve days are long behind him. Ethan Hawke plays a narc trainee, spending one lousy day with Alonzo that involves numerous slayings, marijuana laced with surprises and problems with the Russian Mafia. The film gets a bit farfetched in the end and is sometimes hard to take seriously, but Washington and Hawke are incredible. A stronger, more realistic ending could’ve made this a classic. As it stands, it’s a major acting powerhouse that showcases Washington’s amazing ability to flip the coin on his usual screen persona and freak you out.