“What if you had to tell someone the most important thing in the world, but you knew they’d never believe you?” It’s a question that pops up several times in Déjà Vu as the movie explores the intersection between science and faith.

This movie—part thriller, part romance, part scifi, and part action—is the result of Denzel Washington’s latest collaboration with director Tony Scott and producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Set against the backdrop of a post-Katrina New Orleans, Washington plays the role of ATF agent Doug Carlin. He’s part of an investigation into an act of domestic terrorism that results in the destruction of a ferry filled with American aircraft carrier crew and their families. Soon he is recruited by FBI Agent Pryzwarra to join a select team using new surveillance technology to track down the perpetrators.

It’s not long before Carlin realizes that there is more to these new investigative tools than he is being told. As they follow a promising lead by watching the daily routine of murder victim Claire Kuchever from four days prior to the attack, it becomes apparent that the satellite and camera surveillance technology with which he is familiar could not possibly be providing the images he is seeing. As the story progresses, Carlin becomes convinced that he is able to influence the events he is watching and become more than a passive observer.

And that is the point where this typical Hollywood action thriller takes a decidedly different turn. To quote Doug Carlin, “All of my career I’ve been trying to catch people after they do something horrible. For once in my life I’d like to catch somebody before they do something horrible.” To accomplish this, he must ignore what science is telling him and trust his intuition and instinct. He must follow what he believes instead of what he knows.

I must confess that I do enjoy watching Denzel Washington on the screen, especially in his action movies. He’s one of a handful of actors who seem to bring a truly human side to cardboard cutout heroes. The supporting cast is just as good as Washington in this one. In addition to Val Kilmer and Paula Patton as Pryzwarra and Kuchever, the cast includes Adam Goldberg and Jim Caviezel, among others.

I suppose if you’re a physicist you might have quibbles with the science portrayed in the film, but I think it works well enough for the average moviegoer. It’s a functional plot device, letting major events in the story play out in reverse. I was constantly on the lookout to see how events that we already knew had happened were initiated in the past.

Most of all, though, I liked the two themes that played out as Déjà Vu followed its course. First, of course, was the way faith plays a role even in secular life. The second theme may not have been intentional, but it struck a chord with me. During his investigation, Carlin focuses on Claire, and his actions begin to be motivated by a desire to reach out and affect this one life—not to the exclusion of other people involved, but above and beyond them. For Doug Carlin, “the needs of the many” are insufficient, and he is compelled to go further. It’s a refreshing reminder that the individual is important and should not be lost in the crowd.

In the final analysis, while Déjà Vu might not be high art, it proved to be an interesting and entertaining movie. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Déjà Vu is rated PG-13 for “intense sequences of violence and terror, disturbing images and some sensuality.” For the most part, it’s a fairly tame film but the images of the attack on the ferry may strike a raw nerve given the events we have all been caught up in since 9/11.

Courtesy of a local publicist, Michael attended a promotional screening of Déjà Vu.