Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Training Day’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Our 'dream job' comes with a certain level of expectations when it finally arrives in our lap. We firmly believe that from the moment we enter that perfect career, that our lives will be on easy street and every day will be a cake walk as we perform our desired duties with glee, and we will no doubt go home every single day with a giant smile on our face because hey... we've finally arrived.

But there is of course a harsh reality to the dream job that we rarely think of and only discover once we take the gig. For starters, not every day will be perfect. There will be problems and complications that irritate and confound us and to top it off, we forget that more than likely we will be working with people, and as we all know... sometimes people don't see eye to eye. Because while you firmly believe this is the greatest job you've ever taken, they may feel completely the opposite and the notion of everything not quite being what it seems when it comes to such matters was explored in detail in the 2001 film, Training Day.

Los Angeles Police Officer Jake Hoyt joined the force with one purpose in mind, making a difference in the world. He firmly believes in the motto of 'Protect and Serve' and has worked extremely hard to get noticed by his superiors in the LAPD. After all, his dream job would be advancing as far as he can, inspiring junior officers along the way to be better public servants and his chance to move up the chain has finally arrived. He has received an invitation from Detective Alonzo Harris to join his elite Narcotics unit for a trial run to see if the young officer can handle working the streets. It's an opportunity that Jake jumps upon, but it doesn't take long for Jake to realize that he and Alonzo are like oil and water. While Jake believes in policy and procedure, Alonzo will do whatever it takes to make an arrest and while Jake can let go of some of the rules Alonzo breaks, when he discovers just how far the ruthless detective is willing to go to fulfill personal and professional agendas, Officer Hoyt will finally say enough, and doing so may put him in greater danger than he will ever know. 

This movie is something that can truly be classified as a rare treat simply because of the fact that it is a bold and risky story to tell. Let's be honest, films that feature police officers or crime stories are often times filled with the sense of nobility that Jake portrays throughout the story, or a pair of cops simply quip it up as they work together to solve a crime, but this one breaks the mold by making the villain, and the criminal a police officer as well and the whole thing works on so many levels. For one, it acknowledges the fact that indeed there are cops out there who are crooked individuals, lost behind the badge for whatever reason and because of Denzel Washington's incredible portrayal of Detective Harris. He brings to life a man who clearly gave up on making the world a better place a long time ago and it's about getting his before something bad happens to him on the streets and his ability to make Alonzo charming and evil in sublime fashion earned the actor a well-deserved Best Actor Academy Award.

He is nicely contrasted by the straight as nails Jake Hoyt and Ethan Hawke holds his own against the acting machine he shares the screen with by bringing simplicity to Jake, specifically that there is no grey areas for him, rules are rules and while at first it seems as though he is naive, when it comes to Alonzo's crimes... the man is right about everything. But the most intriguing aspect of this story, is that despite the fact that Jake is given every opportunity to 'turn to the darkside' if you will, he is infallible. His virtues and beliefs never waver, and he will do anything to continue to protect and serve the public and well... that's admirable, especially considering that when all is said and done, his first day on the dream job is nothing short of a nightmare. Either way, this is at its core quite a poignant film, one that remains relevant to the times today and what matters most, it's just a damn good movie that if you haven't seen yet, you need to as soon as possible.

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