Film Review: Déjà Vu

The latest film by producer Jerry Bruckheimer, director Tony Scott, and leading man Denzel Washington, Déjà Vu is an intellectual thriller that excites and entertains. Tony Scott (A Man Apart, Domino) has finally directed a coherent film that doesn’t require designer drugs and attention deficit disorder to enjoy: a feat I wasn’t sure he was ever going to achieve. So, is Déjà Vu simply another entertaining but brainless action flick, or something more?

The story of Déjà Vu does not waste any time getting underway, and engages for its entire duration. Due to the cerebral nature of said story, it is absolutely critical to pay attention during the film to fully appreciate it. With at least a general understanding in hand, the solid plot drives the movie. In fact, this is the strongest point of the entire film—even if it pretends to be more intelligent than it actually is.

Denzel gives the stellar performance that the general public has come to expect from him; the supporting acting is adequate. Déjà Vu’s problem is not in doing anything poor, but instead in doing everything good—not great. Though the storyline impresses, the other elements of the film seem to maintain the status quo rather than excel with the narrative. The result is a film that is very well done, but perhaps not what it could have been.

Déjà Vu is one of the few time-traveling films in history to avoid a major flaw in its execution, and its exciting, suspenseful story will engross audiences. Still, some places are a tad predictable, and the film as a whole seems to be missing…something. To amend these issues, the movie employed the talent of Denzel and the implementation of the marvelous ending that was satisfying and wrapped up an engaging trip to the theater.

7.5/10