Devil in a Blue Dress ★★★ 1995 (R) Down-on-his-luck Easy Rawlins (Washington) is an out of work aircraft worker in 1948 LA. He's hired to find mystery woman Daphne (Beals) by a shady businessman (Sizemore). What he finds are the usual noir staples: government corruption backed by thugs who want him to mind his own business. Easy and Daphne's torrid romance featured in the Walter Mosley novel is missing but the racism and violence are intact. Realism and accuracy in period detail enhance solid performance by Washington, though the deliberate, literary pace is at times lulling. Cheadle takes over whenever he shows up as Mouse, Rawlins' loyal friend and muscle. 102m/C VHS, DVD. Nick(y) Corello, Denzel Washington, Jennifer Beals, Don Cheadle, Tom Sizemore, Maury Chaykin, Terry Kinney, Mel Winkler, Albert Hall, Renee Humphrey, Lisa Nicole Carson, John Roselius, Beau Starr;
Director:
Carl Franklin;
Writer:
Carl Franklin;
Writer:
Tak Fujimoto;
Cameo:
Elmer Bernstein. L.A. Film Critics '95: Support. Actor (Cheadle); Natl. Soc. Film Critics '95: Cinematog., Support. Actor (Cheadle).
