Denzel does it all

Geez, Denzel, do you have to show off?
Denzel Washington both directs and stars in "The Great Debaters," and while it's not a great film it is chockablock with great performances.

Let's start with Washington, who's mesmerizing as a college professor heading up a scrappy debate squad. Follow that with Forest Whitaker's small but powerful role as the parent of one of the debaters, and you have more than enough Oscar gold for any movie.

But "The Great Debaters" also features a trio of new performers, each of whom we're likely to hear much more from soon. Nate Parker, Jurnee Smollett and Denzel Whitaker (no relation to Forest) grab material that easily would have come off as formulaic in less capable hands.

Oh, yes, the story. "Great" follows the true tale of a historically black college in the 1930s thriving despite the Jim Crow laws of the south. The college's debate team demolishes the local, all black, competition, then sets its sights on Harvard. The film's depiction of racial cruelty is unrelenting, and while the context is necessary "Great" works best when focusing on the three young leads.

Good lessons abound, and Washington's ability behind the camera nearly rivals his performance. He injects his film with a vitality that trumps the story's underdog conventions. Washington the actor has clearly been taking notes all these years.

(Photo: Denzel Washington states his case in "The Great Debaters.")