Solemplex To me, this movie is perfection.

Konterr Brilliant and touching

Twilightfa Watch something else. There are very few redeeming qualities to this film.

Cissy Évelyne It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

higherall7 The mood and atmosphere is musically enchanting and you feel like you're descending into a seedy world on the wrong side of the tracks just this side of luxury and affluence and power and politics and wise guys who know where the real money is stashed. This is a wonderful little Private Eye story about on the level of LADY IN THE LAKE with Robert Montgomery, but Easy Rawlins is here to ferret out the clues from a Black perspective. He does not come to the world of private investigation willingly, but rather has it thrust upon him due to circumstances of unemployment. He is sitting in the bar of his friend Joppy, searching through the want ads when he finds out there is a white man with a job for him.He asks none of the questions he might have with a mortgage to pay on a new house and sundry other expenses. He is simply scuffling to assimilate into the newly emerging Black Middle Class in Los Angeles. Therefore he agrees to meet with a Dewitt Albright, and agrees to search for and find a white woman who has retreated into obscurity within the Black Community. He takes his initial payment and prepares to set to work to locate Daphne Monet. The task on the face of it sounds, well, 'easy', but this is just the beginning of the story...Pretty Boy Rawlins begins to scout around and has his questions answered with questions by an associate and friend of Daphne named Coretta James. Sooner than later, Coretta winds up a stiff and Rawlins finds himself swirling to the bottom of a whole lot of trouble...Denzel Washington is spot on as Easy Rawlings, who simply wants to settle down into a middle class life with the rest of the World War II veterans, but finds his true calling as a Private Investigator. Don Cheadle nearly steals the whole show as Miles Alexander, (originally 'Mouse' in the novel) and comes across as a community icon or archetype. Most Black People will tell you every neighborhood has its 'Mouse' or 'Miles' Alexander. The little guy with a heart of gold, but who you would not leave an alley fight with alive. Don Cheadle channels this personality so well, that it is only Denzel Washington's exceptional acting ability that keeps him from being the Green Hornet to Cheadle's version of Kato.Jennifer Beals is suitably elegant and wonderful as Daphne Monet, but I could not help thinking what it would have been like to have Cassidy Rae, Julia Styles or Ali Larter play Ms. Monet, as these actresses more physically resemble the character in the novel. But she works so well in the ensemble that this is just a moot point. There is also a love scene in the novel that was left out of the film, but I suppose Easy Rawlins can't hit all the spots in Los Angeles.Like the MALTESE FALCON, the film version of DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS is actually an improvement upon the novel, and some of the reviewers here and many people in my neck of the woods would heartily welcome the further adventures of Easy Rawlins on film. This DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS could have been the DOCTOR NO to a whole series of adventures, but that was over twenty years ago now. This could have been suggested at the end of this film simply by having Easy pick up a ringing phone to hear a voice at the other end requesting his help.But there is no time like the present and it's never too late for new adventures.

feakes 1948 the war is over. And Easy Rawlins is out of a job. having been fired by Champion Aircraft Easy is willing to do anything to pay his Mortgage. When Easy is offered a job by a white man named Dewitt Albright. The Job seems simple enough. Locate a white woman named Daphne Monet a white woman who loves the Negro jazz clubs and Negro company. Since Easy is a black man he can move around in that community. Seems simple enough but there are lies half truths betrayals and murder before its all over and Easy will be right in the middle of it. With the cops on the left wanting him. And Gangsters and corrupt politics on the right all wanting Easy dead. Easy must find a way to clear his name and to protect himself when the devil comes calling.The Movie is almost faithful to the book. And its a wonderful time If you're into Chandler like storytelling. Easy Rawlins is a worthy successor to Phillip Marlowe. both are world weary knights with a code of honor. As the movie shows Easy is a man with his own code. He's loyal to his friends and he's willing to do what it takes to get the job done.. Carl Franklin carefully crafts this adaptation into a suspenseful film noir And Denzel Washington shows us why he is the only choice to play Easy Rawlins . A look back at the good old days when they were not always good. and the future wasn't always certain.

SnoopyStyle It's Summer 1948 Los Angeles. War vet Easy Rawlins (Denzel Washington) from Texas needs a new job with few options. His bartender friend introduces him to DeWitt Albright (Tom Sizemore) who is looking for missing Daphne Monet (Jennifer Beals). Daphne is the girlfriend of powerful Todd Carter (Terry Kinney) and known to hang out at black clubs. He knows this is trouble but he takes the job anyways.This is dripping with noir style. The most interesting aspect is the racial tension which is a little different than the old Hollywood genre. Denzel Washington is a great actor in the lead. Something is missing from this story. It's like a series of random things happening to him. Everybody is playing a genre character. I'm not sure if any of the story makes sense. This movie is mostly style over substance. The style is all there. The substance is an uncompelling mess. It's a full time job trying to keep the story and the motivations straight.

PopCulturedwithMovieMike I'm not sure why I had never heard of this film before. Thanks to Netflix for recommending it to me. I really enjoyed it. Devil in a Blue Dress stars Denzel Washington as "Easy" Rawlins, a hard working man trying to achieve the American dream in the 40's. Easy is asked to track down a missing woman and soon finds himself tangled in a murder mystery. Devil in a Blue Dress plays out like a noir film. It's equipped with a voice over by Washington as well as dames with long legs (Jennifer Beals.) Denzel gives his normal amazing performance, but he's overshadowed by Don Cheadle, who plays Easy's homicidal homie. Cheadle is so volatile you feel like he can explode at any moment. There are some strong themes of race and what it was like living as a black person in a post-war America. If you're a fan of some of the actors in the film or a fan of the genre, I would highly recommend Devil in a Blue Dress.