Why???? It is very seldom that a film can weave a tale that is so boring, violent, and completely unbelievable that one can't even get past the story to be able to assess the other elements of that film (ie. acting, cinematography, sound, etc.). This was that film. I do not even know if Denzel Washington or Ethan Hawke turned in good performances, I couldn't get my mind past the question; "why did Denzel say 'yes' to this piece of trash?". Must have been for the money. I know that they got my (and my wife's) 18 bucks and I want it back!! I think that this was supposed to be a "graphic slice of life" flick, but the plot twists and random ironies were so ridiculous that suspending disbelief was impossible. Best to let this one gather dust on the back shelves of the video store!!