Devil in a Blue Dress (1995)

Despite rave reviews as one of the most stylish and intelligent detective pictures in a number of years, this 1995 adaptation of Walter Mosley's novel never found a mass audience. Too bad, because Carl Franklin's film is nearly perfect in every way, from its rich, shadowy look to its depiction of life in post-World War II black America (L.A.-style) to the acting of Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle, and others. Washington plays Easy Rawlins, an aircraft factory worker who is laid off only to find his true calling: as a private eye, albeit an unlicensed one. Hired to find a missing woman, he becomes entangled in a complex but satisfying case involving sex, corruption, racism, and of course money. Top-notch from top to bottom--and Cheadle is dangerously funny as Easy's best friend, a killer named Mouse. --Marshall Fine Amazon.com essential video

Thank the Devil

today I watched Devil in a Blue Dress on cable (satellite actually, but that's not the point...). while the headliner of the movie was the excellent-as-usual Denzel Washington, what makes this movie noteworthy for me -the reason i've seen it so many times- is the film's REAL star: Don Cheadle, whose character Mouse Alexander brought a bit of Texas gangster into the noirish gumshoe flick.
Cheadle's performance was so authentic that he was universally praised (winning the LA Film Critics and National Society of Film Critics Awards, as well as nomination from the Screen Actors Guild for best supporting actor) , even when the movie as a whole wasn't.
Director Carl Franklin (Nowhere to Run, One False Move) managed to craft a film that stands as an example in black cinema, not of what is generally done, but what should be. adapted from the novel of the same name by Walter Mosley, Devil in a Blue Dress manages to be more than a period noir flick or a "black movie"... it adresses issues of love, race, infidelity, etc with an easy hand. but beyond all that, it gave me a new actor to identify with in Cheadle, whose star is still rising...
word.
-samax
samaxAmen.com January 6, 2009

One of the best book to movie adaptations ever

Look, I'm not one of those rabid dog book fans that trash a movie based on a book just because it didnt follow the book 100%. I actaully read Devil In A Blue Dress years before I saw the motion picture. Now even though the movie changed certain things around, its still pretty good in its own way. The movie is about 85% faithful to the book and even with that in mind it didnt destroy the fond memories of the novel.

The story: Easy Rawlins(Denzel Washington) is a world war veteran that is fired from his job at a defense plant. Things in his life get worse when he meets a mysterious fellow by the name of Dewitt Albright(Tom Sizemore) pays him money to find a woman by the name of Daphne Monet(Jennifer Beals).

Denzel is perfect as Easy Rawlins and I doubt I could have picked a better person to play Ezekiel Rawlins. Tom Sizemore does a pretty good job as well as Dewitt Albright. He is a creep without being overbearing. Don Cheadle does a pretty good job as Mouse, Easy's crazy but loyal friend. Like I said the movie is 85% loyal to the book so there are a few things the movie changed around(like the way Albright really died) and a few things left out(like the numerous love scenes with Easy and Daphne). Despite that Devil In A Blue Dress is still a treat not just for the fans of Walter Mosley's famous book but to the fans of black cinema period. Two thumbs up. December 9, 2008

"Are you on top of that trouble of not?"

Denzel Washington stars as "Easy" Rawlins, a down-on-his-luck factory worker in 1948 Los Angeles. Easy has just lost his job and desperately wants to keep his house. When he's approached by DeWitt Albright (Tom Sizemore) to do some private eye work, Easy hesitantly agrees for the right price. All he needs to do is track down a white woman named Daphne, who's engaged to an LA mayorial candidate. Apparently, Daphne (Jennifer Beals) has been known to date black men, so Albright thinks Easy might have more luck tracking her down. Easy soon regrets taking the job, though, as other people are looking for Daphne as well.

"Devil in a Blue Dress" didn't do very well at the box office, grossing just $16 million dollars, and is not one of Denzel's more well-known movies. Unfortunately, the plot is a bit muddled at times and just not as interesting as one would hope. In addition, the seedier elements of the story are somewhat glossed over, making it rather tepid for a neo-noir. Although it's not a great movie, it deserves to be better known. In particular, the film's neo-noir tone makes it a notch above the typical mystery, and it's one of the few noirs to feature black actors. The film was also beautifully produced, with a very realistic recreation of 1940s LA. The Elmer Bernstein score and jazz music add great flavor as well. Finally, the acting is very good - Denzel gives a sly performance, and Don Cheadle scores some laughs as Easy's violent friend. All in all, "Devil in a Blue Dress" is a solid movie that will probably be enjoyed by Denzel fans.
November 29, 2008

better than average book to movie

Don Cheadle had the best lines. But the casting of Jennifer Beals and her makeup was a huge mistake, ruined the plot. I had read the book & as soon as she appeared I thought WTF. Imagine her as a blonde and it makes more sense. November 8, 2008

Devil in a Blue Dress

To anyone thinking of purchasing "Devil in a Blue Dress", It's a "must see". The first time I saw this picture was years ago, on a VHS tape. I couldn't wait to purchase it on a DVD version. And the price was affordable. If you haven't had a chance to view this movie, I recommend checking it out. It worth being in your DVD movie collection.

Don't forget the popcorn
D. Brooms October 30, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...