dvd on tap: Man On Fire [Tony Scott]

Former Special Forces assassin Creasy (Denzel Washington) comes back to his old haunts in Mexico City and works as a bodyguard for a precocious young girl Pita (the always-amazing Dakota Fanning). Despite the demons of his past and the bottle, Creasy makes a go of it, eventually getting charmed by this little ray of sunshine. And then tragedy strikes: he fails to prevent Pita's kidnapping.

All signs point to corrupt elements in the government/police bankrolling the kidnappers. And once Creasy gets out of his sickbed, turns into a devastating force of nature. Washington has gone a long way from the defiant dignified slave in Glory. This performance is a subdued version of his Training Day Oscar win, but no less powerful. Christopher Walken, playing his old colleague Rayburn, does another of his Walken-isms: "A man can be an artist... in anything, food, whatever. It depends on how good he is at it. Creasey's art is death. He's about to paint his masterpiece." And you can tell he ain't just blowing smoke.


ok,ok, am serious - these are the best two actors ever to work in one movie.

Tony Scott once again directs Denzel (Crimson Tide) and elicits another outstanding performance, but you can see that the man doesn't need much coaxing to impress you. Man On Fire makes no apologies for its violent themes but tempers it with a humanity and spirituality through the talents of Mr. Washington and Ms Fanning.