Devil in A Blue Dress
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Movie Reviews of Devil in A Blue Dress
Movie Review: One of the best book to movie adaptations ever
Summary: 5 Stars
Look, I'm not one of those rabid dog book fans that trash a movie based on a book just because it didnt follow the book 100%. I actaully read Devil In A Blue Dress years before I saw the motion picture. Now even though the movie changed certain things around, its still pretty good in its own way. The movie is about 85% faithful to the book and even with that in mind it didnt destroy the fond memories of the novel.
The story: Easy Rawlins(Denzel Washington) is a world war veteran that is fired from his job at a defense plant. Things in his life get worse when he meets a mysterious fellow by the name of Dewitt Albright(Tom Sizemore) pays him money to find a woman by the name of Daphne Monet(Jennifer Beals).
Denzel is perfect as Easy Rawlins and I doubt I could have picked a better person to play Ezekiel Rawlins. Tom Sizemore does a pretty good job as well as Dewitt Albright. He is a creep without being overbearing. Don Cheadle does a pretty good job as Mouse, Easy's crazy but loyal friend. Like I said the movie is 85% loyal to the book so there are a few things the movie changed around(like the way Albright really died) and a few things left out(like the numerous love scenes with Easy and Daphne). Despite that Devil In A Blue Dress is still a treat not just for the fans of Walter Mosley's famous book but to the fans of black cinema period. Two thumbs up.
Movie Review: A Real American Hard-boiled Detective-Easy Rawlins!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Warning! Spoilers Ahead! This is a wonderful atmospheric piece of film noir which led me to read all of the Easy Rawlins books by Mosley. Everything, the casting, cinematography, music, etc. is wonderful. Denzel is absolutely believable as a fired aircraft plant employee who finds it necessary to work with some nasty people. Don Cheadle steals every scene he appears in. His screen test on the DVD is a nice extra. Carl Franklin's enlightening commentary is a great extra! Disagreeing with other reviewers I think Jennifer Beals is perfect as the 'devil'. It's easy to see why the mayor would be attracted to this cool, glamorous lady. Why is she cool? She has some meticulously constructed walls built around parts of her life which enable her to 'pass'. Yet we also see how vulnerable she is as her world collapses. If you've seen it you'll want the film soundtrack as well as the video! Wonderful period music by Duke Ellington, Jimmy Witherspoon, T-Bone Walker, Thelonious Monk! I would surely rate above The Big Sleep and The Maltese Falcon. It has a real, gritty American feel that those movies don't. My only question is: when is the next Easy Rawlins pic? Soon , I hope!Movie Review: 'Devil with the Blue' does not get his Due!
Summary: 5 Stars
Why in the heck was this not one of the five biggest hits of the decade? The old Film Noir detective style with the ever so poignant background narrative set in the Black Cultural mode of post war L.A. is just too much to be avoided by any avid film fan.
I like mostly all Denzel's films, but this one, to me, is easily the all-round best. His character development, along with the overall/sub plot themes make this movie an easy (as in Easy Rawlins!) movie to watch over and over.
What can I say about the rest of the cast, esp. Don Cheadle?
Jenifer Beals gets knocked by a few reviewers, but I don't know why: she played the half-breed-trying-to-pass character with a bitter-sweet demeanor that lended credibility to the role. Tom Sizemore, cast as a totally amoral villain, shows his finely tuned mettle here as well.
This is a must see, over and over. I would love to see more films made of this genre. The "baddest" so-called 'Black' film I have ever seen: Real Black people in a realistic societal setting. What a great vehicle for African-American filmakers!
Movie Review: Denzel and Scene Stealing Cheadle Make This A Winning Adaptation
Summary: 5 Stars
Devil in a Blue Dress is a wonderful adaptation of Walter Mosely's fantastic late 40's detective series featuring black private eye "Easy" Rawlins.
Rawlins is a World War II veteran trying to get reestablished in LA following the war. He finds himself helping out someone hired to look for a white woman who is married to a prominent politician. Soon, he is caught up in the double dealings, mystery, and intrigue that only a 40's private eye can be involved in, and "Easy" begins to have it very, very hard.
He enlists the help of his Texas cousin "Mouse," played by Don Cheadle in what is one of the best scene-stealing performances in the past twenty years. "Mouse" hasn't met anyone besides "Easy" that he dosen't want to kill, and he works hard at being an efficient killer. The byplay with Washington's Easy is hysterical, and provides excellent comic relief.
This move is enjoyable on just about nearly every level. If you haven't seen it, you owe it to yourself to watch Devil in A Blue Dress very, very soon.
Movie Review: Film Noir at its best.
Summary: 5 Stars
I haven't enough praise for this movie. Carl Franklin's nigh perfect Devil in a Blue Dress is a showcase for quality filmmaking. The casting, the script, the direction, the art direction are all top notch. Unlike so many other flashy films of the past decade, Devil goes for the things that matter: a richly textured world, an intelligent story and powerhouse acting. Washington simply embodies all the power and majesty of Easy Rawlins. And Don Cheadle should own an Oscar at this moment for his mindblowingly good Mouse. Beyond the beautifully recreated LA of the 1940's, your ears are treated to a peerless soundtrack (I own it on CD!) and you eyes get to feast on the superb cinematography of Tak Fujimoto ("Silence of the Lambs" and "Sixth Sense"). Every facet of this movie shines. Franklin, with help from Walter Mosely's excellent novel, gave us a movie that represents just how incredible the filmgoing experience can be.