Without doubt, the most spectacular performance is given by Denzel Washington. When I saw the film in 1989 at a theatre, the first moment he shed tears during the flogging scene, I said, "He just won the Oscar." It's all about the eyes. On the other hand, the 54th's assault on Fort Wagner underscores how dramatic the scene is. The night before is incredible because these men knew they were going to die and felt prepared about it.

Training Day...now, that shit will get you fired. Just ask Dean Zipes, a Florida sheriff's deputy who once acted out a scene from the movie by rubbing his pistol and Taser together in the direction of a convenience store in front of a police trainee. Beaming with pride, Alonzo Harris might as well call him "my niggah." As for Denzel Washington, it's the most Denzel performance ever, earning himself a second Oscar.

Once in a while, somebody makes a film that's inspiring and uplifting. Antwone Fisher is exactly how I view Denzel Washington in terms of integrity and values. It serves his image well. Many scenes are so good that I'm moved. Strong feelings are brought out while Derek Luke and Denzel Washington turn in powerful performances as their characters try to unlock the mystery. Finally, the film is wrapped up with a beautiful ending.

The most infamous film of Denzel Washington's career, it's okay to like The Hurricane, but don't be fooled by the dishonest storytelling. What I remember the most when it premiered in 1999 is a shocking article which enumerated so many lies coming from the film. Nonetheless, it's hard to overcome the fact that Denzel Washington gave a great performance.

Never mind the made-up story in spite of the claim basing it on actual events, Remember the Titans is a fine high school football picture. Denzel Washington is a '10' by playing himself to perfection. Everybody else on the team is excellent even though roughly eight are featured a lot with Ryan Hurst standing out the most as Gerry Bertier.

Denzel Washington gives one of the better performances of his career. However, it's not his picture. It, primarily the story, is much bigger than him which is about dealing with forced displacement, light vs. dark racism, prejudices, and cultural differences and traditions. As a result, Mississippi Masala is a charming movie, thanks to the mixed cast of Indian and black thespians. They're fun to watch. There are many standouts including Sarita Choudhury who's perfect with Denzel Washington.

It's a terrific picture with Denzel Washington at his best. All of the hallmarks have been hit: the voice-over narration, the wrong man at the wrong place accused of murder, the case of a missing woman, the sultry cinematography of Los Angeles, and the lineup of tough guys and corrupt politicians and cops. An added bonus is racism that's not a common feature in most films of the genre.

Fallen is a well-made supernatural thriller featuring a strong performance by Denzel Washington. When Elias Koteas' character was being gassed in the chamber, I was immediately reminded of The First Power, giving me a good idea of what the story might be about, but it's a better movie even when compared to Shocker. Instead of Lou Diamond Phillips, it's Denzel Washington who tries to figure out what's going on, and he gets better, acting-wise.

Norman Jewison wrote in his autobiography This Terrible Business Has Been Good To Me: "The camera loved (Denzel Washington). He was intelligent, rebellious, totally confident, and spectacularly talented. He was so confident he often thought he knew more than the director, but he watched and learned. He never believed the film was going to work until after he saw it finished. He didn't stop being above it all until he saw the film with an audience and realized it worked."

Big, bad Denzel Washington goes against big, bad Gene Hackman in Crimson Tide. That's the fun part. Although a pretty good submarine picture to relax with, it isn't great enough to join the ranks of Das Boot and The Hunt for Red October. Yet Crimson Tide is a lot of fun by watching the angry, screaming contest between Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman.

This may be hard to believe, but Déjà Vu is the most New Orleans movie ever made. Denzel Washington re-teams with Tony Scott to make an interesting sci-fi flick, and this time, the results are a lot better than anticipated. There's a weird time travel component involved, but the logic is sound, especially when Denzel Washington's future copy dies while the present version shows up to Claire Kuchever's amazement.