Despite rave reviews as one of the most stylish and intelligent detective pictures in a number of years, this 1995 adaptation of Walter Mosley's novel never found a mass audience. Too bad, because Carl Franklin's film is nearly perfect in every way, from its rich, shadowy look to its depiction of life in post-World War II black America (L.A.-style) to the acting of Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle, and others. Washington plays Easy Rawlins, an aircraft factory worker who is laid off only to find his true calling: as a private eye, albeit an unlicensed one. Hired to find a missing woman, he becomes entangled in a complex but satisfying case involving sex, corruption, racism, and of course money. Top-notch from top to bottom--and Cheadle is dangerously funny as Easy's best friend, a killer named Mouse.
--Marshall Fine
1 An Overall great movie
"Devil in a Blue Dress" is based off of the same titled novel by Walter Mosely. The movie stars Denzel Washington as "Easy" Rawlins, an out of work aircraft engineer looking for a quick buck to save his house. He gets mixed in what seems like a simple job for easy money, but finds out there is more than meets the eye. He now has to go out for himself to get to the bottom of the crime that is threatening to be placed on him.
This is such a good movie. Denzel Washington gives an excellent performance as Easy Rawlins. He really lets the audience in on Easy's ambitious yet emotional side. Dnzel really brings an "everyman" charcteristic to this character. Maybe not one of HIS best works, but even his worst is pretty good.
Tom Sizemore does excellent as DeWitt Albright. He brought an extra sleaziness to the character without being too violent.
But the person who stole the movie was Don Cheadle as Raymond "Mouse" Alexander. It is amazing how Cheadle takes this characte of Mouse, who is supposed to be this hot-tempered, gun-wielding, criminal, and gives him a sort of playful innoncence. Cheadle definitely shines at those moments in the movie where Mouse flies off of the deep end and starts shooting everything in sight, but he also gives Mouse some comic value that is incredible.
I also like how the plot keeps you guessing a little bit, but also lets you figure out where the film is going plotwise without holding your hand to do so. This was a superbly acted, written, and directed movie.
2 First-Rate Movie, Great Acting, Great Atmosphere
It's 1948 in Los Angeles and Easy Rawlins (Denzel Washington) is out of work, short of cash and late with a couple of house payments. He's offered $100 to find a woman named Daphne Monet, who is the missing girl friend of a candidate for Los Angeles mayor, a candidate who has just withdrawn from the race. Then people start to die and Easy gets set up for the fall unless he can quickly find out what's going on. To help him, he calls on a long-time friend named Mouse Alexander (Don Cheadle). With Mouse around, the bodies really start piling up. "You told me not to shoot him. I didn't. I choked him. If you ain't want me to kill him, why'd you leave him with me?" Mouse asks reasonably at one point.
The movie is based on the book by Walter Mosely. It has a great noir look about it of black life in forties L.A. -- bars, after hours jazz clubs, motels, street life, family life. It also has violence, race and racism, police who'd just as soon convict a black man as look at him, politics and political corruption.
There's strong acting by all the members of the cast. Washington brings his typical integrity and likeability to Easy, and Don Cheadle almost steals the show. Mouse is quick to kill, basically a psycho, but a great friend to have. Also noteworthy is Tom Sizemore as a ruthless, cold-blooded bad guy.
I've read somewhere that if the movie had done well Washington, Mosely and Franklin were planning to film another of the Easy Rawlins books. The movie didn't too well and the financing evaporated. Too bad; the movie is excellent and the sequels might have been. The books are excellent, too. The DVD looks great.
3 Stylish Post-War Mystery
It's summer in Los Angeles, 1948. Ezekiel "Easy" Rawlins (Denzel Washington) returned from World War II a few years ago to a land of opportunity. He got a job, a mortgage and a home of his own. But now he has lost his job and is determined not to lose his house. A friend introduces Easy to a sleazy character named DeWitt Albright (Tom Sizemore) who ostensibly is trying to locate the former girlfriend of mayoral candidate Tom Carter (Terry Kinney) so that the couple may be reunited. Desperate to keep making his mortgage payments, Easy accepts the job of finding the girlfriend, a woman named Daphne Monet (Jennifer Beals). His search causes him to be suspect in several murders and arouses the interest of the rival candidate for mayor, Matthew Teran (Maury Chaykin). Easy finds that he is not the only person looking for Daphne Monet and that no one is exactly who he, or she, appears to be. As motives become less clear and the trail becomes more murderous, Easy calls on a childhood friend named Mouse (Don Cheadle), who has more experience in the criminal underworld and is more than willing to use force, for help. With the police, Albright, and Daphne Monet all demanding his loyalty, Easy must buy time and use his wits to unravel the mystery of Daphne's identity and uncover the scandals that will make or break the careers of two of the city's prominent politicians.
"Devil in a Blue Dress" is based on the detective novel of the same name by Walter Mosley. Screenwriter and director Carl Franklin has altered and simplified Mosley's novel for the screen and employed cinematographer Tak Fujimoto to create a stark and moody environment in sunny California. Fujimoto's cinematography looks great and is reminiscent of the film noirs of the 1940's, when the story takes place, and also does an excellent job of communicating the tone of the novel visually. The degree to which the film evokes the style of World War II era film noirs is striking considering that "Devil in a Blue Dress" is in color. This film isn't as sexy as the novel on which it is based, nor is it as effective in conveying Easy's desperation. It is, however, more tightly woven, more plausible, and more enmeshed in city politics. Don Cheedle's interpretation of "Mouse" couldn't be better. And the cinematography is a pleasure to watch. "Devil in a Blue Dress" a stylish and enjoyable neo-noir adaptation.
4 Uniqueness amongst Conventionality
`Devil in a Blue Dress' quickly creates a very appealing misˇ en scene that's constructed upon upbeat and sunlit scenery. Combined with director Franklin's dexterous dolly movements and smooth camera techniques that follow the always-charismatic Denzel Washington around the culturally diverse streets of 1948 Los Angeles, it makes you want to throw your imagination into its storyline for a few hours. With brooding and insidious male characters, beautiful and mysterious female characters, voiceover narration by the protagonist, and a gradually revelatory, detective-like storyline we get the sense that we're watching a more-colorful-than-usual film noir. There's no question that it couldn't have been setup much better; it's too bad that it slowly-but-surely dissipates away into the realm of conventionality.
As far as underrated acting goes - Tom Sizemore is spectacularly sleazy as the coldhearted DeWitt Albright and Maury Chaykin is his usually creepy self as the political Matthew Terell. Easy Rawlins (Washington) is a familiar character - he's a man who will do just about whatever he has to do in order to earn some cash, although he's proud of his dignity and won't sell himself short. He's also more amiable and compassionate than the average man is, which is what ultimately differentiates him from the bad guys of the story. The lesser-seen element here, however, is that he also happens to be Afro-American. It's refreshing to see a film concentrate upon this culture without trying to dictate too many things to us about it - race is an element of this film, but it's not a particularly prominent or overblown one.
A myriad of different characters are introduced - sometimes it seems as if the film is actually relying upon the appearances of new characters in order to progress the plot, and even then some things aren't made very clear. I understand that the writers were simply trying to convey the sheer volume of the situation that Easy has gotten himself into, but its lack of tautness just gets annoying after a while. And there is a cool aura of mystery surrounding the plot until you realize that it's simply going down the all-too-familiar cinematic road of political corruption. The final theme of an average man achieving complacency through oppression is well communicated, but couldn't it have been done in a slightly more interesting/original/unique way?
5 Easy Does It!
It is the end of WWII. Ezekiel "Easy" Rawlins(Denzel Washington) returns from the war to find segregation,discrimination, and a decent job hard to come by. He has used the little bit of money he had to buy a house and car, but he must find a way to keep up the payments. A job does come his way, it sounds shady, but it's seems to be easy cash, so he takes it. The job...To find a missing woman named Daphne Monet(Jennifer Beals)...seems easy enough.
Finding this mysterious woman, Easy, gets into trouble at every turn. Dead bodies start turning up all around him. The cops harass him,he uncovers political foul play, and a dark secret about the woman. Working with him is his old friend "Mouse" (Don Cheadle), who's answer to everything is shoot first and ask questions later. The "reward" for finding this woman and what she knows is growing as the answers start leading up the ladder of society. Is Easy's interest now for the money or the girl?
If you like the old style of film noir in movies like "Laura" or the newer modern film noir like "L.A. Confidential" you'll love "Devil in a Blue Dress". It's gripping, edge of your seat stuff.Director Carl Franklin and director of photography Tak Fujimoto give us a great look at this steamy side of Los Angeles in the 1940's.The musical score by Elmer Bernstein is wonderfully atmospheric, and the old rhythm and blues or"Shout and Jump" music by such greats
as T-Bone Walker and Duke Ellington are a great addition to 1940's feel. The cast also features Tom Sizemore and Maury Chaykin.
The DVD(Columbia Tri-Star) is a nice transfer. It is in widescreen, with a full screen version on the other side. Picture and colors are outstanding. The sound was good, dialouge a little low at times but still good. Features include Director's commentary during the film if you want, Don Cheadle's screen test and trailers. There are subtitles for those needing them.
All that is needed now is another EASY RAWLINS story..how bout it Denzel?..........Enjoy........Laurie
6 Easy on the eyes
Devil in a Blue Dress starring Denzel Washington has much to recommend it: the post war Los Angeles period setting, an exciting plot, great music and Denzel Washington in a sleeveless T. Denzel plays Ezekiel or Easy Rawlins, who has moved to Los Angeles from Texas seeking opportunity. Easy plans to move up in the world, but unfortunately he has hit a snag. He has recently lost his job. His friend Joddy offers him an out by introducing him to a man who wants to find a woman. Of course at this point things get interesting and aren't as easy as Easy would like.
Denzel proves in his role of Easy Rawlins yet again why he is one of the hottest commodities in Hollywood. Denzel is electric. His Easy Rawlins is a man of action, morals, thought and conflict. Did I say he is wearing a sleeveless T?
The setting for Devil in a Blue Dress is filled with smoke filled Jazz Clubs, well groomed bungalows, old black sedans sliding along the dark streets. For anyone who loves old private eye films this is a must. This is a whodunit which keeps the viewers attention.
7 'Devil with the Blue' does not get his Due!
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 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!
8 Denzel in Period Drama
In the same way that Errol Flynn played in period dramas, Denzel Washington was now given the opportunity to play in period dramas as a leading character. In 'Devil in a Blue Dress', he did not need to bounce off other big names actors because just seeing him alone in a period drama was enough.
The film is set just after the Second World War, and Denzel returns back to his neighbourhood aiming to own his property and develop a lifestyle. Throughout the film, we follow him on his journey to independence, and enjoy the fruits of his labour with him. As all good stories end up, Denzel achieves his goal by the end of the film.
9 A Real American Hard-boiled Detective-Easy Rawlins!!!
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!
10 Why wasn't this movie a hit???
This movie offers so much more than the average flick. Carl Franklin's direction cannot be faulted--the atmosphere of postwar, African-American Los Angeles seems utterly real and fascinating. Denzel Washington gives yet another brilliant, charismatic performance, and Don Cheadle is both hilarious and horrifying as his cheerfully psychopathic sidekick. It had all the makings of a big success--except, of course, the success.
11 A neo-noir of the first order
A voluptuously seedy tale of blackmail, murder and double-cross, "Devil in a Blue Dress" captures splendidly the mood of the forties, and is a worthy modern equivalent to old gems such as "Double Indemnity", "The Blue Dahlia" and "The Big Sleep". Acting, writing, direction, cinematography and music are all of an par above the standards of conventional filmmaking. Denzel Washington -- (an actor who is flawless in every performance) -- is superb in the role of Walter Moseley's detective, Easy Rawlins, the classic noir type of the down-at-heel gumshoe. He receives excellent support from Jennifer Beals, Tom Sizemore and Don Cheadle as his gun-crazy help. A heady aroma of sexuality and intrigue make this one of the most absorbing of recent noir film adaptations. Carl Franklin, with a flair for suspenseful situations, directs crisply.
12 Film Noir at its best.
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.
13 See it for the acting
If you've read the book, you'll be disappointed in this. It's faithful to the plot, with one important exception: what happened to the sexual heat between Easy and Daphne that was so important to the book's story? Without it, you wonder why Easy would bother chasing down this woman once he doesn't have to.
The general atmosphere is somewhat lacking. We know Easy has a hard time finding decent work due to racism, but we never get a sense of how desperate he is for money (and thus not lose his house) as we do in the book. Also, the screenwriter seems content to merely recycle typical (i.e. cliched) private eye/hard boiled/noir dialogue in place of using language as fresh as that found in the novel. Plus the first half of this film seriously drags.
Why, then, do I give it three stars and insist that it's worth watching? Simply put, Denzel Washington is terrific. He really brings Easy to life. Don Cheadle is also excellent as his psycho buddy Mouse. Most of the supporting cast do superb jobs as well. Though Jennifer Beals isn't gonna win any Academy Awards with this kind of performance, she does fine.
Worth renting and watching once. Not necessarily worth owning unless you're a big Denzel Washington fan.
14 One of Denzel's best flicks
I haven't a clue what those other reviewers were complaining about! I rarely see a flick that lives up to the novel that it was based on, but "Devil in A Blue Dress" comes awfully close! Don Cheadle definantly shines in this one, and Denzel gave his usual brilliant performance! I just wished that they had someone else play Daphne. Jennifer Beals just didn't work to me.
15 average
i was looking foreward to this film but it was just so-so.Denzel Washington who is the best Actor in Hollywood today is rather average in this film.this is however a breakthrough for Don Cheadle.he stole the film from Washington.Jennifer Beals is to me pretty Wooden in this film.not much substance.the Direction was solid.
16 Good directing is wasted by a confusing and boring plot
I saw some good reviews for this movie so I got it on DVD and it was absolutely boring. The plot is too confusing. I wish the same effort was put in to a movie with a decent plot. Denzel Washington put in a good performance which also goes to waste. If you read the book...
17 Great period piece and a fine film noir!
This movie got pigeonholed as a "black interest movie" and never got adequate attention from the world at large. Denzel Washington is very good and the depiction of race relations in post WWII Los Angeles is fascinating. And for film noir lovers, this movie is true to the form. It is not quite LA Confidential or Chinatown, but it is a great modern addition to the noir cannon.
18 Devil Made Easy
Los Angeles, 1948. Ezekiel 'Easy' Rawlins is a mortgage-holding war veteran, newly down-at-heel thanks to aircraft industry lay-offs. In keeping with the pattern established by John Huston's Maltese Falcon (1941), he accepts a dodgy job for easy cash, taking him into the crevices where his mysterious patron Albright (Tom Sizemore) cannot go. Unlike the lantern-jawed heroes of forties low-life detective work, Rawlins is black. This is the source of the ambiguity that underwrites Carl Franklin's screen adaptation of Walter Mosley's Devil in a Blue Dress. Mosley and Franklin take us into the familiar territory of violent film noir, akin to Franklin's earlier One False Move (1993). What made the novel different from other pulp fictions was its evocation of race in postwar America. Searching out a missing woman may be the staple of countless private eye thrillers, but this time it is refracted through the prism of postwar racial tensions. Like the best fifties flicks, paranoia is ever present. In Devil in a Blue Dress, however, the uncertainties are not about reds under the bed, but about crossing the colour line. Denzel Washington, fresh from his Crimson Tide performance, is superb in the lead role, giving expression to the burning anxiety that lies beneath Easy's cool exterior. That anxiety is provoked in particular by Daphne Monet (Jennifer Beale), the eponymous femme fatale engulfed in the sordid underbelly of white Los Angeles. Unlike the classical hardboiled dick, such as Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe, Rawlins has to think twice before pursuing her. If Hammett 'took murder out of the venetian vase and dropped it into the alley', then Mosley has populated the alley with redneck cops prepared to ensure that blacks know their place. But while the film version of Devil in a Blue Dress is clearly infused with racial tensions, Franklin seems to be unwilling to pursue the issue too hard. He seems somewhat torn between creating a straightforward period piece and pursuing the racial themes. The ambiguity of Rawlin's position is softened when, for example, in contrast to the novel, Franklin takes the stream out of Easy's relationship with Daphne. In Franklin's adaptation race works mainly as an unspoken assumption, so much so that police billy clubs are probably the only aspect of life in 1948 that is not lovingly created. Opening as it did during the OJ Simpson trial, Devil in a Blue Dress created a major stir in the USA. Entertainment Weekly described it as a sociologist's tour of urban Negro culture. But that is its real problem: its view of race from a safe distance, rather than from the inside as in Mosley's novel. Outside of flashes of fire from Denzel Washington and Don Cheadle (who plays Easy's wild associate Mouse), it is altogether too sedate, too fifties - in the Happy Days sense of that decade - to capture the ambiguity either of noir or of Mosley's novel. Walter Mosley achieved national fame when Bill Clinton declared him to be his favourite novelist. Franklin's version of Devil in a Blue Dress is Mosley as Bill Clinton might read him. The central dilemma of race remains largely unexplored and Mosley's compelling vision is lost in the nostalgia of a period piece.
19 Denzels' best!
I loved Denzel Washington in this movie. He is my favorite actor and the story line was extremely good. I hope to see more of his work in the future. There is not another African American actor or any male actor that can hold a candle to him. I cannot say enough to praise this marvelous performance.
