Denzel Washington has long been one of our very best actors. From his turn as an angry slave, turned soldier in the brilliant civil war epic Glory, to his riveting portrayal of Malcom X in the Spike Lee epic of the same name, Washington has always put his all into his work even when he's appearing in a rare misfire (Fallen immediately springs to mind). With the gritty, spellbinding Training Day, Washington shows he has something new to offer..

Taking place during one intense day, this fast paced character study features Ethan Hawke as Jake Hoyt, an up and coming undercover drug investigator who is shown the ropes by seasoned veteran Alonzo Harris (Washington). Harris' teaching techniques are unethical to say the least, but Hoyt is willing to do whatever it takes to learn the job. As the day progresses, however, Hoyt is unable to determine whether Harris is training him or abusing his enormous position of power.

Hoyt and Harris experience more in one day on the job then most officers do in a lifetime, but this over the top mentality is absolutely intentional. In this respect, Training Day is quite reminiscent of the Michael Douglas thriller Falling Down.

Washington is mesmerizing here. He skillfully walks that line between restraint and complete absurdity bringing to mind Al Pacino's remarkable work in Scarface. Surprisingly, Hawke is also convincing as his unsuspecting partner. This film also has many recognizable bit parts played by Macy Gray, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and many others. My favorite cameo comes courtesy of Scott Glenn as a grizzled drug dealer. Training Day was directed with gritty, raw energy by Antoine Fuqua (who directed the less than stellar Bait and Replacement Killers). While the film does become a bit heavy handed in it's final moments, that hardly dampens the overall mood of what is essentially a dark, brooding, and sometimes very funny exploration of the American Dream.

Many will argue that Training Day is far too over the top for it's own good.. I say that those people are missing the point. This movie is exciting, and full of unexpected moments. While much of the film is an exaggerated look at law enforcement and life on the streets, some of the movie rings true as well.

While Training Day is an intense and extremely exciting movie experience, it really works because of the commanding presence of Denzel Washington. This is one of the strongest performances of his career.