Movie Review

“Déjà Vu,” directed by Tony Scott

“Déjà Vu” is one of the best thriller movies Denzel Washington has starred in yet, and also one of the best movies of 2006. Denzel plays calm, cool and collected ATF agent Doug Carlin whose eye for detail is astounding — a fact that plays heavily into the tight-scripted plot. When Carlin is sent onto a crime scene to investigate the explosion of a New Orleans ferry, he learns that what you see is not always the reality of the situation. During massive episodes of déjà vu — and outright time travel — Carlin discovers that both the past and future can indeed be changed. Soon he breaks out of his calm exterior as his investigation becomes an obsession. Complicating matters somewhat is the romance that develops between him and one of the victims.

“Déjà Vu” left me glued to the screen — I couldn’t take my eyes off this one because if I did I might have missed an important, hidden clue. The movie kept my mind twisting and left me guessing from beginning to end. I was so sucked into the vortex of questioning reality that I never missed an important clue. However, my awful memory made it hard to obtain the clue when it was being used to solve the case.

Director Tony Scott matched up the details so precisely that he never left a doubt in my mind that all the sci-fi action could be happening — at least for the duration of the film. He kept the movie moving with such suspense from beginning to end that it was challenging to figure out the mind games he’s playing on you. If you have a passion for Denzel, puzzle solving, science fiction and non-stop suspense. Or if you just want to see a fantastically executed film, then “Déjà Vu” is for you. Just writing this review I got a sense of déjà vu and wanted to see it all over again.

By Jasmine Jones / VOX Staff