Eye Candy #108 - "Street Kings"

Street Kings: An “LA Confidential” for the 21st century (which should comes as no surprise as James Ellroy helped write both), about a dumb, dirty cop finding himself being manipulated by various forces smarter than he but unwilling to do the dirty work he no longer has a moral hang-up doing. Keanu Reeves is Ludlow, a recent widower and officer in the Vice Special unit of LAPD. He’s firmly in the sights of the Internal Affairs department for sketchy activities during the length of his career, and he’s been ratted by another detective, Washington. When that detective dies in a suspicious gunfight and Ludlow is believed by most to be responsible, he partners with Washington’s former partner Diskant (Chris Evans) to find the murderers and take them down. Meanwhile his commanding officer (Forest Whittaker) gets to play damage control when a zealous IA officer (Hugh Laurie, and I wish eh had a bigger part) comes snooping around. Co-starring Cedric the Entetainer and Jay Mohr (who is good in an off-beat supporting role, for him). Thematically and tonally, very much like “Training Day” as well, where even the good officers at the LAPD are still morally contemptible (a very cynical world view). I liked Reeves in this roles, as he usually doesn't get to be amoral while still the hero). Evans was equally good in a role that didn’t force him to be a smart-ass or comedic relief. The pace clipped right along, and while the end was a little predictable, it wasn’t a lousy movie. This is the second film directed by screenwriter David Ayer (who wrote "Training Day"). Woodchuck sez, “Worth a look.”