Denzel Washington Spotlight Collection (2007)

Universal

Cast: Denzel Washington, Angelina Jolie, Jodie Foster, Wesley Snipes, Rod Steiger.

Rating: 14A to R.

Run time: 118 - 146 mins.

Genre: Drama.

Verdict: Beautiful (see rating system)

Two-time Oscar-winner Denzil Washington (Glory, Training Day) is a dependable leading man who brings conviction and authority to every role he plays.

This fine 4-DVD set contains some of his best performances - particularly The Hurricane, in which Washington plays Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, the real-life boxer who spent 20 years in jail for a murder he didn't commit. This is a moving portrayal that earned Washinton a "Best Actor" nomination.

Some critics were surprisingly lukewarm about The Bone Collector (1999), in which Washington took on the challenging role of forensic police expert Lincoln Rhyme, confined to his apartment bed after being paralysed by a falling object during an investigation. Queen Latifah is the attentive nurse who brings him back from the brink of death several times as his seizures grow worse.

Quietly planning to take his own life, Rhyme is goaded back into finding a reason to live when former colleagues, baffled by a grisly double murder, come looking for help. Of particular interest to Rhyme is the rookie cop (Angelina Jolie) who does all the right things after arriving on the scene first, collecting evidence that might have been lost.

Using her as his eyes, ears and hands, Rhyme agrees to help track down a killer who soon adds more victims. It's a tense story that fans of the whodunnit genre will enjoy.

Most recent flick here is Inside Man (2006), an unusual story about a bank robbery. British actor Clive Owen plays the leader of the robbers who appear to be in no hurry to escape from a New York bank after taking bank staff and customers hostage.

Sponsors: