Denzel Washington is so often cast as the wronged good guy
(“John Q,” “Glory,” “Malcolm
X,” “The Hurricane”) that people were shocked
when he played a corrupt police officer in “Training
Day.” Washington received his second Oscar for his
performance, but the truth is that the actor has had a long and
successful career making movies of all genres, from romantic
comedies (“The Preacher’s Wife”) to sports films
(“Remember the Titans”).
But in “Out of Time,” he again plays a cop: Matt
Whitlock, chief of police of tiny Bantam Key, Fla. Unlike Alonzo
Harris in “Training Day,” Whitlock is basically a good
man. He just gets caught up in a very, very bad situation.
How bad? This is not clear until the end of this thoroughly
entertaining, suspenseful thriller.
Whitlock is having a hot affair with Anne Merai Harrison (Sanaa
Lathan), whose husband Chris (Dean Cain, in a convincing turn,) is
an ex-football player who beats her up for sport. Anne, it turns
out, has terminal cancer, and Whitlock would do anything to get her
the money for an experimental treatment.
Unfortunately, Anne and Chris soon turn up dead in a gruesome
arson fire, and all the evidence points to the trusty chief of
police. Complicating matters is Whitlock’s soon-to-be ex-wife
Alex (Eva Mendes), who has recently been made detective.
Mendes, who played Alonzo’s mistress in “Training
Day,” has gotten stuck in eye candy roles (“2 Fast 2
Furious,” “Once Upon a Time in Mexico”). Here,
she shows that besides possessing stunning cheekbones, she has
great promise as an actress.
“Out of Time” is shot so that you can feel the sweat
dripping off the characters’ faces, and director Carl
Franklin shows a deft skill for setting up plot twists. His
characters are remarkably well-developed for what is essentially a
popcorn thriller, and he achieves a nice balance between comedy
(Whitlock stomps on a cell phone and then asks, “Can you hear
me now?”) and suspense.
“Out of Time” won’t lead to another Oscar for
Washington, but it’s a solidly entertaining two hours at the
movies.
– Johanna Davy