Devil in a Blue Dress Movie Review 1995

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.

Distribution

Sony Pictures Home Video, Sony Pictures Plz., 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232, Phone: (310)244-7306, Fax: (310)280-2485, URL: http://www.spe.sony.com, Remarks: Formerly Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 102 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Mystery & Suspense, Period Piece: 1940s, L.A., African America, Private Eyes, Politics, Cops, Contemporary Noir

Screenplay

Carl Franklin

Cast

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

Cinematography

Tak Fujimoto

Director

Carl Franklin

Music

Elmer Bernstein

Producer

Gary Goetzman, Jesse Beaton, Jonathan Demme, Edward Saxon, Clinica Estetico, Mundy Lane Entertainment, Tri-Star Pictures

Awards

L.A. Film Critics 1995: Support. Actor (Cheadle); Natl. Soc. Film Critics 1995: Cinematog., Support. Actor (Cheadle).