I agree with Flopper in that, for sure, this was not one of his best performances, however I love this movie.
I have seen it, I think 3 times. And will probably watch it at least another 3 times before my time to go.
Few movies can I watch several times and enjoy it equally as the first time I saw it. And this is one of them.
A movie doesn't have to be an epic/spectacular film to be a thoroughly enjoyable work of art.
As the saying goes, different strokes for different folks. My favorite Denzel Washington movies are not his best performances but I found them very entertaining, Out of Time, Pelham 1 2 3, Deja Vu, John Q, Remember the Titans, The Pelican Brief, and Crimson Tide. No academy awards but fun to watch.
Denzel Washington seems to have uncanny ability to pick movies that audience will pay to see. I believe this comes from a team approach. Most of Washington's movies are a collaboration between him, a half dozen directors and producers he has worked with for many years. They work together to get the story and they work together to build a cast and crew. They usually have a financial stake in the movie.
Often movies begin with financial backers or studios obtaining a story, raising funds, hiring a producer who works the backers to hire to hire a director(s) who search for the actors for the leading rolls, leaving selection of cast and crew to assistants. The result is often a group of people who have never worked together and have little interest in the movie other than collecting their paycheck. The history of Hollywood is filled with movies who have great director, great stars, great cast, and a great story that results in a crappy movie. What makes great movies is more of what goes on behind the camera than in front it.
