To me, this movie is perfection.

Simply Perfect

Pretty Good

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Denzel Washington plays a hustler way back in the fourties after WW II. He gets asked by some gangster to find out the whereabouts of a white woman who regularly hangs out in the black community. A simple investigation job turns sour when the white woman seems to be connected to powerful men in politics. Will he find the woman without endangering his own life? That is the start of this complicated story with many plot turns, too complicated to summarize."Devil in a Blue Dress" is sort of an african-american version of the classic movie "Chinatown" (1974). It has the same feel to it and even some similar plot lines. "Devil in a blue Dress" comes pretty close to the masterful suspense of "Chinatown". This is truly a very clever and suspenseful detective story, situated in the racist environment of the late fourties in America. I am impressed by this detective gem. Denzel Washington plays one of his best roles. Supporting actors, photography and soundtrack are average unfortunately. If they had been better than average, this truly could have been a masterpiece. But I am pleased how it turned out anyway, because it is a chilling detective story. Fans of Denzel Washington should see this anyway. Lovers of the detective genre could love it too. Great story. Great suspense. And Denzel Washington really delivers!

Devil in a Blue Dress is written and directed by Carl Franklin, who adapts from the book written by Walter Mosley. It stars Denzel Washington, Tom Sizemore, Jennifer Beals, Don Cheadle and Maury Chaykin. Music is by Elmer Bernstein and cinematography by Tak Fujimoto.Carl Franklin had already laid down a considerable neo-noir marker with his searing 1992 thriller One False Move, here he goes more traditional but garners equally impressive results. Plot has Washington as a WW2 veteran who has lost his job and desperately needs money to keep hold of his pride and joy - his house. Taking on a job offered by shifty DeWitt Albright (Sizemore), to find a missing woman, Rawlings quickly finds himself in up to his neck in murder and deception, he must turn ace detective to save his skin.Set in late 1940s Los Angeles, what instantly stands out is the period detail. The clothes, the cars and the establishments frequented by Easy and company. With voice over narration also provided by Washington, in dry and sardonic tones, it's every inch a loving ode to the film noir movies released at the time the pic is set. There's plenty of neon signs about the place, some bad ass cops, good sex, brandy and sharp suits, smoking and coolness and of course a psychopath in the classic mould (Cheadle excellent).But of course noir dressage is only that if you haven't got a good pot boiling plot, thankfully this has one. The story takes unexpected turns, always remaining interesting, the distinctive characterisations breathing heavy, managing to off set the run of the mill stereotypes in the supporting ranks. It can be argued that Beals as the titular femme fatale of the title is under written, but the character comes with an air of mystery that serves Franklin's atmosphere very well. Tech credits are high, something of a given with Bernstein and Fujimoto on the list, while Washington turns in another classy show of subtlety and believability.Lovers of film noir should get much rewards from Devil in a Blue Dress. 7.5/10

From the shorts to this movie I thought that it was about a Negro in the Southern United States who had been framed for the murder of a white girl and had to prove his innocence against a huge amount of discrimination. This movie is nothing of the sort. Rather it is set in Los Angeles in 1948. America faces a boom time economy, the war is over and the good times are everywhere. It is still a decade before the civil rights movement begins so Negroes are still treated as second class citizens. Everybody has a job and everybody is happy, all except a Negro named Ezekial (Denzel Washington). He is single and a World War II veteran. He moved to Los Angeles from Texas and has bought himself a house in the expanding suburbs in what will probably become South Central Los Angeles in the 1990's. He worked overtime and because of that was fired and now he is looking for a job. A friend who owns a bar hooks him up with somebody who wants a young lady found. This lady was the girlfriend of a rich Los Angeles businessman who is running for mayor and he wants her.What this movie turns out to be is a detective story. It seems to be a revisitation of the old 1940's and 1950's detective films such as the Big Sleep and The Maltese Falcon. The major difference is that this is not as dark as these other movies. Devil in a Blue Dress does portray a rather darker side to this era though. The 50's is generally considered to be a time when everything was good and politicians could be trusted. Movies such as this and L.A. Confidential appear and undermine the glamour of this era. In this movie we see corrupt politicians, racist cops, infidelity, child molestation. and severe segregation.There are a number of small themes in this movie, though the major one seems to be the removal of the façade that the 50's erected around itself. Ezekial was the subject of racist rebuke when the police try to pin the murder of a white man on him, and there is the issue of him being sacked for working overtime while a white man who does that is rewarded. Devil in a Blue Dress takes the 50's and destroys its credibility. It shows a suburb that one day will become a crime ridden slum. It can't be helped seeing South Central Los Angeles in this suburban paradise in the 50's. Such things are portrayed in other movies to, such as Back to the Future where the dream suburb becomes a haven of crime in the future.This is a movie that does not create the façade of a great America that has reached the pinnacle of civilisation. Rather it creates an America that is showing signs of decay even in its finest hour.

"FRANK IS MY BROTHER" Talk about subplots of subplots...you really have to pay attention to follow the story. Great cast and great characters..The film has a great look and a very fast pace.I'm surprised it didn't do well at the box office but neither did The Black Dalia or Mulholland Falls. Gotta love Mouse....he just rolled in and then just rolled out...he had some perfect timingIt just wouldn't have been right if Luke(the crazy gardener) didn't check in near the end. Great sound track.It was rare a black man could win in the late 40's. Where there is politics, there is money and murder. Still true today.I'm glad Easy(Denzel) decided to become a private eye. How could he go back to a 9 to 5?