Thoughts on Denzel Washington?

What is everyones thoughts on Denzel Washington as an actor? I know he gets mixed responses for supposedly playinh himself, but I just cant agree with that statement, I think hes incredibly versatile, from ALonzo Harris to Malcolm X, to Steve Biko, to Joe Miller in Philadelphia (which I personally thought he stole the show from Hanks), plus hes a highly acclaimed stage actor and recently won a Tony for Fences, and acting on stage is incredibly difficult. Plus, I like that his acting feels realistic, theres not one line that feels forced, and every emotion particularly in a film like Glory feels completely authentic. I know there is some debate about his Oscar win for Training Day, but he really should have won for Malcolm X which is one of the best performances ever

Best actor in hollywood today in my opinion. When he's acting, the emotions of his characters come alive. You can tell that he does what it takes to make himself the character completely. I thought movies like Man on Fire and The Hurricane showed how great his skills are.

I liked him (hated him) in Training Day. Very good performance IMO

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I think he is a good actor. He seems very versatile in the roles that he manages to get. I especially liked him John Q.

Denzil is a good actor but more and more I find myself wondering why would he ever take a role in some of the films he does. He's a capable actor but sometimes takes some bad parts.

Can you please state some of those roles??

I think he means his recent Tony Scott roles?

He was really good in John Q.

As one participant said, Washington's appearances in Tony Scott films certainly were poor choices for him to make, but there are others IMHO that lots of posters are not going to want to hear.

So I'll cite first what I think are Washington's best performances: A Soldier's Story (1984), Glory (1989) [in both of which he played surly soldiers]; Mo' Better Blues (1990), which along with Malcolm X (1992) and Philadelphia (1993) represent to me the apex of his work. Also Much Ado About Nothing (a black man performing a Shakespeare role other than Othello--and doing it well!), and Devil in a Blue Dress.

Films in which Washington appeared that I didn't like to varying degrees: Heart Condition (1990, he fired the agent who got him that role); Richochet (1991, way too complicated plot), The Pelican Brief (1993--I'm not that crazy about Roberts to start with); Courage Under Fire (1996, ho-hum), The Preacher's Wife (Did Washington really need to prove he's not Cary Grant?), Fallen (1998, yeah, really scarey--not); The Seige (1998, totally forgetable), John Q. (2001, Zzzzz). Out of Time (2003); Man on Fire (2004, action adventure is just not his forte; he should stick with films that have real plots and dialogue); The Manchurian Candidate (2004, and he's not Sinatra either. Never understood why they remade this film with Big Business substituted for Red China--it seems to lack something); Inside Man (2006, another needlessly over-complicated plot), Deja Vu (2006, while Washington traveled in time, time stood still in the theater as the film dragged on and on and on); The Taking of Pelham 123 (He's also not Matthau). I'm also apparently one of the few (aside from some perceptive critics) who doesn't think Training Day is all that great, either, but that's really not Washington's fault. He actually was believeable as a tough, mean SOB, but his partner was a dweeb and the rest of the cast wasn't exactly electrifying. And that final ambush scene left me wondering how Washington's character had lasted on the streets at all.

I do agree, he just doesn't fit some of his characters the way they are written sometimes... But still he manages to do a decent job.

I loved him in Book Of Eli.. Also in Virtuosity.

Damn sexy.

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Well that just goes without saying, because when you name a child Denzel, you know they are going to be.

Just like if you name a child Jack or Brad, he'll also be sexy and command authority, as opposed to a name like Myles, or Linus where they'll be bullied in school.

A name like Jack or Brad just calls out to the world, I'm packing a long one in my pants, so don't f*^k with me!

Now a name like Denzel cries out, "Yeah I'm packin', but I'll also lick the chocolate syrup off your boobs!"

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I strongly agree that while being VERY GOOD, actually a great actor in some roles, he is sometimes over-hyped. Yeah, a lot of the movies he has made lately just seem pointless. Like, why? He's such a great actor and he should be selecting roles that can challenge him as an actor, or at least make for a colorful, interesting one. Deja Vu, The Taking of Pelham 123, and one or two more you mentioned just seemed like superfluous moments in his career.

But I respectfully disagree with your opinion on The Manchurian Candidate update. I thought that was an exceptional film with superb performances from the whole cast, namely Jeffrey Wright, Meryl Streep, Liev Schreiber, and ABOVE ALL Mr. Washington. This is a character that's complex, tortured, and struggling. It's one of Denzel's most introspective and subtle performances in recent memory, if you ask me. I thought it was better than Training Day, which I agree is overrated (Antwan Fuqua is not that good a director IMO). Instead of chewing all the scenery-not necessarily a bad thing, if you're good at it like he is-he built his character from the inside out. Also, with The Manchurian Candidate Jonathan Demme has one of his best directed movies. That extreme facial close-up thing where characters talk directly into the camera (a cool technique in Silence of the Lambs), was used here with haunting effects. It was just a really good political thriller.

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He just likes collaborating with Tony Scott, whose recent films have been mediocre (Pelham, Déjà Vu). Denzel's characters in those films were quite flat. Like Cries&Whispers said, they don't challenge him as an actor. He should be taking parts that are challenging to him.

A lot of people don't like Al Pacino's performance in Scent of a Woman, because they claim it was the start of the so-called loud-mouthed Pacino as an actor. Even if that is so, that was a very challenging role, Pacino's character being blind and going through a change in the way he looks at his life (renewed purpose). I think Pacino portrayed Slade in a beautiful way, turning him into a man with flair and style, but who lost his sense of purpose and will to live somewhere along the way only to refind it at the end.

An even better example is Brad Pitt. Look at what he's done in the past few years. Inglourious Basterds, Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Burn After Reading, Assassination of Jesse James, Babel. Those were challenging roles that showed Pitt's versatility as an actor. He may not be widely recognized as one of the best actors of his generation, but his body of work is very solid.

Now, compare that to what Denzel Washington has done in the past few years. Since 2004, it's been a bit of a downhill slope imo in terms of the movies he's chosen to act in as well as the characters he portrays in them. Not a whole lot of depth; nothing he can really sink his teeth into. He's still solid in those roles, but they're nothing special.

I rate him below Philip Seymour Hoffman and Daniel-Day Lewis. For me, he's in a pack with Russell Crowe, Brad Pitt, DiCaprio, Bale and Sean Penn.

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I like the majority of his and Tony Scott's movies. Obviously Man on Fire is one of my favorites and Deja Vu isn't far behind for me. Crimson Tide and Pelham 123 are pretty average though.

I think Denzel Washington is a great actor, in every film I have seen him he owns the role and I saw him last night in The Book of Eli and he was fantastic. Here are the films I think he is great in

Glory
Courage Under Fire
The Bone Collector
Training Day
Man on Fire
Inside Man
Deja Vu
American Gangster
The Book of Eli

Im looking forward to seeing him in action in Unstoppable

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My biggest problem with The Manchurian Candidate was the silly premise that evil Big Business is out to take over the world. A Manchurian Candidate under the command of a political insider makes sense in a Cold War confrontation with Russia or China, particularly in the 1950s. For Big Business to use the same operation in the 1990s to take over a capitalistic society when the whole world population is hotwired into television, internet, and the whole microchip communications system just seems redundant. To me, if the plot doesn't hold up--and the remake doesn't--then the best acting and directing in the world isn't gonna save the film.
I admit I don't know anything about Demme's directing. I've never watched Silence of the Lambs, and the other verse to that song is that I never plan to. The whole plot and characters just put me off.

Washington's collaboration with Tony Scott don't exactly mirror those of DeNiro/Scorsese or even Meadows/Considine. I guess he must genuinely enjoy Scott's company or something, I dunno.

Washington is fantastic if you ask me. A very strong, commanding presence and ultra charismatic. Whether he is starring in mediocre Tony Scott films or working with Spike Lee, Denzel has always brought it. I don't think I have ever seen him give a lazy performance, honest to god and even the by the number action flicks he partakes in see to come across as slightly better than they really are, which I think is a testament to his skills. I mean, would we really have given a **** about Man On Fire had it not been about Washington stuffing phallic objects up people's behinds?

love the guy. love that he does a lot more risque now that he's older. plus...for an old dude, he's hooooooooooot! he's got that perfect mix of the guy who's bones you want to jump, but also exudes that stability, saftey and security that every girl secretly craves.

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