To Die For !!. Review on The Hurricane Movie

Being an unabashed admirer of true stories as well as Denzel Washington, I knew this one had to be special.And it lives up to my expectations thoroughly.I have seen this many times & it always leaves me spellbound.I know there are several stories on the net regarding Rubin Carter's innocence(or the lack of it).I did some research on the same and most people say he was innocent, though not all.Inevitably, its hard to tell which version is true.However, I choose to go with my findings based on the opinions of several respected people who put their weight behind the Hurricane.Enough about all that, now to the movie.

Not many people are aware that Rubin Carter himself chose Denzel Washington to play his character coz he felt he was the only actor who would do justice to his life story.And rightly so.The man is a powerhouse & a cesspool of talent.Just for a handful of boxing sequences in the movie, he underwent boxing training for a year before the movie.The film outlines the sudden turn of events leading to Carter's incarceration.The way in which the director shows his life in prison is based on inputs from the man himself.Like refusing to wear the clothes of a guilty man, becoming schizophrenic in solitary confinement etc.The performances apart from Denzel Washington are awesome too.The prison warden who allows Carter to wear hospital pajamas & also turns up at his acquittal delivers a memorable cameo.The actors portraying Lesra Martin & Lisa are so vulnerable at times, its unbelievable.But the movie belongs to Washington who portrays vulnerability, strength & angst at different times just perfectly.Some moments are just heart-wrenching.

For more info on the topic, you can go to the CNN archives for an interview conducted by Larry King with Rubin Carter, Denzel Washington, Lesra Martin, a well-known prosecution lawyer & the judge who actually freed Carter.The interview also mentions a point that could have been illustrated a bit better, i.e.John Artis who deserved a little more screen time.And last but not the least, the superb soundtrack which includes Bob Dylan's"The Hurricane"(written & performed for Carter when he was in prison in his support).I will always wonder why Denzel Washington wasn't given an Academy Award for this bravura performance.One of my all-time favourites.Always makes me think how it would feel for anyone to spend years of your life in prison after being wrongly convicted.