1999, R, 125 minutes

Before the release of The Hurricane, I had never heard of Rubin Carter. The true story of his life is both sad and interesting (perfect movie material), and I'm surprised it took this long for it to reach the form of film. Denzel Washington tried to buy the rights back in the early 90's, but someone else beat him to it before he could make an offer. Fortunately, things always seem to work out in the end, and it's nice to see that 8 years later Denzel (who was the only man for the job) and this story finally came together.

The film starts off with Rubin "Hurricane" Carter in his youth, where he is unfairly sent away to a correctional institution for committing an act of self-defense. By the time he's released he is an adult, filled with hate, which he transforms into a boxing career. He acquired his nickname "The Hurricane" while boxing, for literally destroying other men in the ring. Living large and on the verge of becoming the champion of the world, Carter is framed for the murder of three people and sent to prison on a life sentence. He writes a book about his life up to that point and despite protests on his behalf, as well as another trial, he remains in prison. Seven years later a kid named Lesra (Vicellous Reon Shannon) buys Carter's book at a used book sale, and it's the first book he's ever read. Carter's words inspire him and he decides to send "The Hurricane" a letter. They quickly become friends, and along with the help of three Canadian do-gooders who refuse to quit, Lesra fights to get him free.

The Hurricane is no doubt a solid piece of filmmaking. I was especially pleased to see that it never turned into a Spike Lee movie, where all of the white people are oppressive bastards and all of the black people are innocent and righteous. This is a real story and in real life people of all colors are good and bad. In fact, there is a point in the film where Carter learns to overcome his hatred for white people, although the only white people he had known up to that point had caused him injustice. While it was still satisfying, the ending of The Hurricane came off just a little flat -- perhaps it was the courtroom. However, there are a number of great moments throughout the rest of the story, which more than make up for it.

One thing I always hate is when a song is played during the trailer, but then the filmmakers leave it out of the actual movie or only play it at the end. Bob Dylan's song The Hurricane, which is actually about Rubin Carter, was used on a few occasions throughout the film and was quite effective. I'm glad director Norman Jewison wasn't afraid to use it more than once.

Denzel Washington is one of the great character actors of our time. From his role as a slave in need of shoes in Glory to his powerful portrayal of Malcom X, he always seems to provide a strong performance. His turn as Rubin "Hurricane" Carter may very well be the best performance of his career (so far, at least). During the fights his eyes capture that intensity you would expect to see and his mechanics are absolutely perfect. But his best scenes take place in prison, particularly one scene where he tries to avoid going crazy while in the hole.

The supporting cast is also quite good. Deborah Unger, John Hannah, and Liev Schreiber give decent performances as the three Canadians and Vicellous Reon Shannon was excellent as Lesra. Shannon does a great job at capturing his character, showing us a mix of insecurity and ambition. Dan Hedaya plays the mean and hateful cop out to get Carter, and goes a bit over the top in a few scenes, but does a good job otherwise. I never did figure out his motive to ruin Carter's life, which is probably this film's biggest flaw.

The Hurricane is a film that can be enjoyed by a wide range of audiences. If you don't like boxing, that's okay -- it doesn't matter. This isn't a boxing movie, it's about hope and justice and connecting with someone. Fans of Denzel Washington or just movies in general should enjoy it.