I love Denzel Washington. I really, really, love Denzel Washington. Like, if they had Movie Star Collector Cards - I'd want a rookie Denzel.
I thought I'd just get that out of the way before I review John Q.

John Q - AKA Denzel Washington is the Reason for the Season

   I love Denzel Washington. Like, he's one of the greatest actors of our time, and although I didn't (really) with him getting the Oscar for Training Day, I do think he deserved it for Philidelphia - well, maybe -, or The Hurricane, or, I don't know, even Remember The Titans.. .. er, maybe?.. there are a million other reasons they could've given it to him, but not for Training Day. I mean, with a repertoire like his it's a shame that his first Oscar for Best Actor (He won Supporting Actor in 1989 for Glory) was for.. yeah, instead of say Malcolm X or The Pelican Brief.. Heck, I could go on all night. Denzel Washington, he's good. So good. Anyway, back to John Q for a second. As always, Denzel Washington is amazing. However as if far too - quite sadly - common, Denzel Washington is what makes this movie.  It's a great. great movie, but I have a feeling that if they cast say, Marky Mark as John Quincy Archibald, or (dare I say it) Keanu Reeves - eww.. I feel so unclean now - the movie would've been lacking in so many places where Denzel delivers. It's a shame though, that he does so many over-sympathetic movies. Example, The Hurricane. It's a great movie, but it's just so overly, even overtly sympathetic towards Washington's character that the movie becomes predictable. It's the same with John Q, as much as I hate to admit it, and as much as I loved the movie, it rests completely on the empathy and sympathy we feel for Washington's character.

   Maybe that's what Denzel Washington wanted to achieve with Training Day. Maybe that's why his character was pure evil. It was weird, from pure evil in Training Day to this almost angelic performance in John Q, it was like how Garbutt watched The Matrix, and then about a day later watched Lord of The Rings, both with everybody's favourite Agent  - Hugo Weaving - and he couldn't wait for the elf-man to get all "Do you hear that, Mr. Anderson? That is the sound of inevitability." on their asses. Really. Anyway, I guess I should actually review the movie, huh?

  This would be Oscar material, only the movie is sort of predictable and clichéd. Maybe it's because of all the movies I've wasted my life watching, but it was as if it was just a self-writing script, and you knew that Ray Liotta was going to screw up, and that Robert Duvall was going to befriend.. Denzel Washington plays this guy who is poor, and who's car gets towed away - Bah Bah BAH! - Anyway, his lil kid gets real sick, so - like any ordinary person - he complained and complained, and following his desperate attempts to save his lil boy's life, he takes the emergency room hostage. This is where the fun begins.

   Robert Duvall plays Lt. Frank Grimes - yes, you read correctly, Frank Grimes - and tries to negotiate the release of the hostages with Denzel. in fact, there's this scene where Lt. Grimes is talking to John Q and says "My name is Lt. Grimes, but I want you to call me.. .. " and I so wanted begged, I .. .. needed him to say Grimey, but he said Frank, and I was annoyed. .. Hang on, I'm going to have a think about this movie and get back to you.

   After careful thought, I'd say the movie is one of the most entertaining of the year. Storyline aside, the issues the movie raises, the actors it uses, including one of my favourites, Ethan Supple (Tuna, from Blow) and my favourite Denzel Washington. It well directed, and works on so many levels. It's just a charming movie. A movie that makes you think, and most important of all, a movie that pays out America. There's also a few good mullets. A few great mullets. Actually, the casting was amazing, sorry I'm being so random here, but yeah, I love James Woods too. Anne Heche was brilliant as always, (haha, I crack me up) and all John Q is definitely worth the 2 hours and the $10.50.

Even if it's only to see Lt. Frank Grimes.

+Hing ---> Out
"Call me Grimey"