“Devil in a Blue Dress” (1995) directed by Carl Franklin, starring Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle & Tom Sizemore / Z-View
Devil in a Blue Dress (1995)
Director: Carl Franklin
Screenplay: Carl Franklin based on DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS by Walter Mosley
Stars: Denzel Washington, Tom Sizemore, Jennifer Beals, Don Cheadle, Maury Chaykin, Terry Kinney, Albert Hall, Lisa Nicole Carson, Jernard Burks, John Roselius, Beau Starr, L. Scott Caldwell and Barry Shabaka Henley.
Tagline: In a world divided by black and white, Easy Rawlins is about to cross the line.
The Plot…
The year is 1948. Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlins (Washington) has just been laid off and has a house payment coming due. He needs a job, so when a white PI named DeWitt Albright (Sizemore) offers him a job, Easy accepts. All he has to do is find a missing white woman involved with some political heavyweights.
When another woman ends up murdered, Albright turns on Easy. To make matters worse crooked cops give Easy 24 hours to find the real killer or they’ll frame him. Easy brings in his friend Raymond “Mouse” Alexander (Cheadle) to help him. Mouse is a stone-cold killer, but sometimes it take one to catch one. The clock is ticking…
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Devil in a Blue Dress, the novel and the movie get my highest recommendation.
Carl Franklin’s adaption and direction are first rate. Denzel Washington and Don Cheadle were perfect as Easy and Mouse. Tom Sizemore was excellent as DeWitt Albright. It’s a shame that Franklin, Washington and Cheadle didn’t reteam to film more of Mosley’s stories. At least one got this one.
Devil in a Blue Dress (1995) rates 5 of 5 stars.
