Devil in a Blue Dress

After decades of postwar white guy detective stories, this one legitimately shows how investigations are complicated via race. It's obviously indebted to Chinatown's theme of how cops, robbers, and politicians are all heartless. But it builds on that by using black politics, art, music, and class struggle in its worldbuilding. And Don Cheadle gives perhaps my favorite performance of all time, including one of the best jokes ever filmed. A picture that's unjustly overlooked & highly recommended.

Nice to see a noir with a black lead in Denzel Washington. The story itself was a bit confusing until the end. The best part was the window into racial politics and views. It kind of chickens out at the end by not pairing the two together, or maybe that's the whole point. Fav scene: Cheadle busting into a fight and capping the guy.

A tad too long for my taste But an enjoyable who done it ? If your into those type of films

Generally satisfying neo-noir. I don't know if it's possible for Washington to give a bad performance, if nothing else he can coast on pure charisma. Cheadle makes a lasting impression with very little screen time. The script falls a bit short, Chandler-esque in construction but lacks compelling dialogue. However, it keeps you watching. Technically the film is quite strong, evoking the feel of a classic noir while maintaining a modern sensibility. It didn't blow me away, but it's a solid movie.

Effective neo-noir which mixes the genre a bit by having a black male protagonist and showing 40's L.A. and racial issues from his point of view. It's fun to see Denzel and Cheadle in this kind of roles and they seem to enjoy themselves. Still, the film feels a bit of a missed opportunity as it follows genre cliches too closely instead of doing something truly different.