X
- 1995
- R
- TriStar Pictures
- 1 h 42 m
- 1995
- R
- TriStar Pictures
- 1 h 42 m
Summary Denzel Washington stars as Ezekiel "Easy" Rawlins, a decorated war hero who returns home to the segregation of post-war America. Forced to accept an under-the-table job finding a missing socialite, Easy is caught between the white power elite and the vibrant black community of Central Avenue. And as soon as Easy and his trigger-happy fri...
Directed By: Carl Franklin
Written By: Walter Mosley, Carl Franklin
- 1995
- R
- TriStar Pictures
- 1 h 42 m
- 1995
- R
- TriStar Pictures
- 1 h 42 m
Devil in a Blue Dress
78
6.6
Where to Watch
Summary Denzel Washington stars as Ezekiel "Easy" Rawlins, a decorated war hero who returns home to the segregation of post-war America. Forced to accept an under-the-table job finding a missing socialite, Easy is caught between the white power elite and the vibrant black community of Central Avenue. And as soon as Easy and his trigger-happy fri...
Directed By: Carl Franklin
Written By: Walter Mosley, Carl Franklin
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 21 Critic Reviews
78
71% Positive
15 Reviews
15 Reviews
29% Mixed
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 21 Critic Reviews
78
71% Positive
15 Reviews
15 Reviews
29% Mixed
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Director Carl Franklin, who also adapted the screenplay from Walter Mosley's prize-winning novel, isn't particularly concerned with the machinations of mystery plots. Nor is he seduced by the temptations of noir visual style (although Tak Fujimoto's camera work is plenty stylish).
A modest, skillful, unfussy genre piece that tells an exciting story and lets its more serious concerns remain just below the surface, gently complicating the smooth-flowing rhythms of the narrative.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 34 User Ratings
6.6
68% Positive
23 Ratings
23 Ratings
21% Mixed
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
12% Negative
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 34 User Ratings
6.6
68% Positive
23 Ratings
23 Ratings
21% Mixed
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
12% Negative
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
Writer-director Carl Franklin's cool, expert adaptation of Devil in a Blue Dress, Mosley's first novel, evokes the spirit of '40s film noir more effectively than any movie since Chinatown.
Franklin juggles it all with wit and style, and suddenly you feel fine that this is only Mosley's first Easy Rawlins novel. Several more are just waiting to be adapted.
The movie is entertaining on its own terms, and Washington's warmth at the center of it is like our own bemusement, as together we return to the shadows of noir.
The story soon lapses into familiar private-eye formulas, though, and the characters aren't interesting enough to hold much attention on their own.
Everything is aces about this lineup's pedigree. But Devil never lets loose. It's a jazzy composition about sex, sleuthing, corruption, race, and cheap liquor that's a half step out of tune.
Has Denzel ever missed? The man was born to act. Always good to see Tom Sizemore as well, I just love to hate him.
Report
Hardworking, discreet Ezekiel Rawlins was just looking for a job to pay the bills and live normally, but the need eventually forces him to accept something different: as a detective, he must look for the girlfriend of a powerful Los Angeles politician who seems to have run away with another man. But things get more complicated when he realizes that she may have been involved with mobsters and very dangerous people who may have every interest in liquidating him.
Summed up like this, the plot is absolutely promising, and in fact, I was well attached to the plot, curious to know what had happened to this mysterious woman. It is a script that has many twists and turns and, in itself, does not fill us with boredom nor did it seem too predictable. But I think the plot would not have the strength it has without the environment that was created around it. In fact, director Carl Franklin skillfully and elegantly blended the gangster and mystery genres with light touches of "blaxploitation" in the middle, harmonizing and giving the film a high dose of charm packed in jazz. The time in which all takes place (late forties) helps a lot: we can still admire those mythical cars with protruding fenders and chrome radiators and that Bugsy Siegel-style fedora hats. The director carefully recreated the period, aware of the impact it would have. To help, he has inserted a good soundtrack, that knows how to stand out at the right times, making the environment more dense and mysterious, enriching the final product.
In the midst of such quality, I would almost venture to say that the cast just needs not to ruin everything. In fact, we are so absorbed by the film's ambience and our own curiosity about the plot that we hardly notice the way actors take their characters and bring them to life. This is not something that stands out, unlike most films, where cast can ruin the entire movie. But that does not mean that the actors did not work well. Though not the best movie, Denzel Washington has done his job well and starred brilliantly with Don Cheadle, who has a more impactful and intense character. On the other hand, all the actresses were in the shadow and do not stand out, starting with Jennifer Beals, who seems to be too lazy to act in this movie, just appearing and saying the lines they paid her to say. Lisa Nicole Carson has a brief appearance, but she makes a character that will prove important and has brought to life one of the most laughable sex scenes I've ever seen in movies.
Bottom line: This is not a piece of art but its a good piece of entertainment. By investing heavily in a mystery environment, it can engage the audience and draw our attention to a strong and charming story using the means at its disposal but, with the exception of two or three actors, the cast didn't help much and some people will think this movie is just scenery and music.
Report
I saw the trailer before watching it and you could smell the 90's all over it, even though the story is set at the end of the 40's.
This film is hardly memorable. It has no elements that make it stand out from others of the genre and of the same style but I liked it.
I cannot help it, these stories of mystery, crime and suspense I just love them.
Even on front of what it offers, which is not much, I sincerely believe that's indeed above the average.
Report
Awards
Image Awards (NAACP)
• 4 Nominations
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards
• 3 Nominations
National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA
• 2 Wins & 2 Nominations
