I happen to think that Denzel Washington is one of the finest actors working in films today. So, I try to see most of the movies in which he appears. It was for that reason that I chose to see the recently released “Déjà Vu.” My expectations were not high, since the film was directed by Tony Scott and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer – a duo not noted for their sensitive artistry! I was pleasantly surprised and found myself both entertained and moved by this action film with a heart.
Wesley Morris of the Boston Globe does a nice job reviewing this film. I agree with his assessment across the board. Set in post-Katrina New Orleans, the movie becomes a love note to The Big Easy and to its recovery. The science fiction aspect of the plot is indeed “ludicrous,” to borrow a word from the Wesley Morris review. But the ludicrousness is forgivable and endearing. Watching Denzel Washington’s character, ATF Agent Doug Carlin, slowly fall in love with a beautiful Cajun woman who has just been murdered is poignant and believable. The storytelling here is of top quality. I was gripped by the suspense of wondering whether agent Carlin would be able to pull off the impossible and reverse a very personal tragedy as well as the mass tragedy of a terrorist attack upon a ferryboat filled with Mardi Gras revelers. I was on the edge of my seat for much of the movie, and enjoyed the complex script, cleverly crafted by Bill Marsilii and Terry Rossio.
I leave you with these words from Morris’ review:
“Usually a Scott-Bruckheimer production sends you home wanting a shower. But here they've caught the movie's unstoppable bayou spirit and send you home on a high. Come back, the movie says of New Orleans. Live again.”
http://www.boston.com/movies/display?display=movie&id=8916
Enjoy!
Al
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