The Hurricane

Starring: Denzel Washington, Liev Schreiber, John Hannah, Vicellous Reon Shannon, Deborah Kara Unger, Dan Hedaya, Rod Steiger, Vincent Pastore,
Directed by: Norman Jewison
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
1999

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: Boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter (Denzel Washington) is wrongly convicted of murder and sent to prison for life. Years later, still rotting away in jail, he reluctantly befriends a group of Canadiens (Liev Schreiber, John Hannah, Deborah Kara Unger) and a young man (Vicellous Reon Shannon), who may prove to be his best chance of finally getting his hard fought freedom.

Review:

Tim: This is a movie that I liked, but was surprised I didn't like more. This film seems like the perfect vehicle for Denzel Washington- a complex, powerful role that involves injustice, life and death, and redemption. It is a role that could have defined Washington's career. Yes, Washington is superb, but this movie isn't as powerful or effective as it could have been. Why this is true is a question I have struggled with for nearly a decade.

The cast is quite good. Denzel Washington again throws his all into the role. He is so, so good as Hurricane Carter. In one aspect, he is a force of nature- a brawling, uncontrollable man. However, he is also a tender, caring individual who is deeply introspective and wise beyond even his years. Washington pulls off this duality in terrific fashion. He garnered the film's only Academy Award nomination, for Best Actor. However, the role seemed to be missing something. Washington might have given his all, but something about the performance left us wanting more. Still, his performance is better than most of the others out there.

The supporting cast, though strong on paper, likewise disappoint to some extent. Vicellous Reon Shannon (great name) is surprisingly good in his role. The trio of Canadiens are played by Liev Schreiber, John Hannah, and Deborah Kara Unger seem like they would be fantastic. All three of them are very good actors who have given great performances in their careers. However, there are just not effective here. The script is surprisingly sparse for these three. I couldn't believe they were not given more to do. This was one of the big disappointments for me. I would have liked to see these three with better lines and more screen time.

One of the big knocks on this film is that it is an incredibly streamlined, simplified, and not completely factual movie. This is hard to grasp, because at two and a half hours, it feels like every detail of Carter's life would have been included. Not knowing Carter's story outside this movie, I can't vouch for any of this, but knowing it is true makes me wonder what a more true-to-life story would have been like. However, I'm not advocating adding anything else to the film. At 145 minutes, it is already a bit long (another knock I have on it).

While this movie is far from perfect, it still tells a very good story. I wish it was a bit more real life and a bit shorter, and the movie could have moved at a quicker pace. Still, The Hurricane is an entertaining, interesting movie. If for no other reason, Washington's performance is worth seeing this film.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Training Day, Cry Freedom, Glory, Philadelphia, Courage Under Fire