Four star

THIS gritty, hard-nosed thriller about life on the drug-rife streets of LA won Denzel Washington his first best actor Oscar. And deservedly so.

But it's not pretty to watch and is definitely not for the faint- hearted.

Rookie officer Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke) joins veteran narcotics cop Alonzo Harris (Washington) on the beat for one day - one day in which he has to prove he has what it takes to make it as one of Harris' team.

But as the day goes on, he is confronted with a very disturbing reality and begins to realise the lines between law and disorder have become well and truly blurred.

Harris has become indistinguishable from the scum he is there to clean up and Jake is forced to make a decision about which side of the law he really wants to be on.

Washington is on good form and obviously relishes the chance to play a different character, although Hawke is really just a passenger.

The DVD is packed with decent extras, including an alternative ending (although not quite as alternative as you would think), additional scenes, a behind-the-scenes making of featurette and director's commentary.

SC