You went from directing Antwone Fisher to being “just an actor” again – how was that?
This was a tough film to do coming off of directing Antwone Fisher because Carl had such a style that he wanted to do. This wasn’t an actor’s film per se. It was chopped up bits and pieces. It wasn’t a performance-driven film. What appealed to you about it? It’s an interesting group of flawed people who get together and make a mess! It’s the sort of film where you’re shouting at the screen going: “Denzel, no! Don’t do that! Oh, he got away with another one!” You play a corrupt cop in Training Day and a flawed cop in this film – why the same kind of character so soon? Maybe it’s the power and the misuse of power, maybe they have that in common. But the fact that he was a policeman was the least important thing to me. He’s a guy who swims and goes fishing, you know. He’s Chief of Police and he’s got three guys and one of them is kind of a crossing guard, so it’s kind of sad. You have some love scenes – do you ever get used to doing those? Love scenes in movies are not what you think. The
