Equilibrium
3/4
Starring: Christian Bale, Taye Diggs, Angus MacFayden, Sean Pertwee, Sean Bean, Emma Watson
Rated R for Violence
The theme of the dystopian future will always compel because it reminds us how much art and expression mean to us (despite the fact that it is the least respected field of study these days) and how much of a myth the utopia is. While no one is going to give Kurt Wimmer's debut film "Equilibrium" marks for originality, it is well acted, compelling and features some truly eye-popping action scenes.
After the third world war, humanity realized that human emotion was the cause of all the violence and pain. Therefore, a new society was made that, with the help of a medication called Prozium, has completely done away with human emotion and all its sources. Art, music, expressive clothing (even so much as a hair ribbon) is considered contraband, and those with it are arrested and usually killed (if they don't die fighting for the arts to begin with). Society is ruled by The Father (Pertwee), and his instruments are the Clerics, deadly soldiers skilled in combat and gun katas (a mix of martial arts and gunfighting). The best Cleric is John Preston (Bale), an emotionless and brutal man who is as deadly as they come. He's so good that he can sense who is feeling emotion. But when he forgets a dose of Prozium, he begins to realize what he's missing, and that there are some things risking everything for.
No one can play an emotionless character like Christian Bale. Well, no one that can keep the character interesting for more than a second, much less a whole film. Whether it's playing the white collar serial killer Patrick Bateman in the controversial "American Psycho" or Cleric John Preston in "Equilibrium," there is no one else who can master that intensity. Bale is perfect for the role (and Wimmer's only choice). Also good is Angus MacFayden, who is positively chilling as The Father's number one, Partridge. With his icy stare and his slow, calm nature of speaking, MacFayden gets the nape hairs on end. Sean Pertwee is solid as The Father, who's constant reminders of why emotion is bad are almost hypnotic. The weaknesses are, surprisingly, Taye Diggs and Emily Watson. Taye Diggs is miscast, and his character is poorly written. As a part of the story, Brandt (Diggs) works, but he is written and acted in a way that is inconsistent with the story; he's more emotional than Preston. Watson is especially surprising. Normally an exceptional actress who can (and will) do just about anything, Watson doesn't seem too invested in playing the ill-fated Mary O'Brien. She's supposed to be the one who changes Preston's heart, but we don't feel anything for her. Sean Bean also makes an appearance, but his role is regrettably small. The film would have been better off if he had switched places with Taye Diggs.
Wimmer has made an action movie so visually dazzling and thought-provoking (even if they aren't new questions), that many blurbs have compared it to "The Matrix." Ironically, it's an apt comparison. Both mix stylized violence with philosophy, although the action scenes in the film from the Wachowski siblings are much cooler and the philosophical questions are more original and compelling. Still, you don't see gunfighting like this anywhere else, although it's reportedly in Wimmer's next film, "Ultraviolet."
The problem is that while "Equilibrium" has cool action scenes, only a few of them rely on the gun katas. The rest are the same that can be found in any well-made sci-fi action movie. Additionally, the film is sometimes too grim for its own good (the fate of about a dozen dogs is a case in point).
All in all, "Equilibrium" is a pretty good adrenaline cocktail.
Starring: Christian Bale, Taye Diggs, Angus MacFayden, Sean Pertwee, Sean Bean, Emma Watson
Rated R for Violence
The theme of the dystopian future will always compel because it reminds us how much art and expression mean to us (despite the fact that it is the least respected field of study these days) and how much of a myth the utopia is. While no one is going to give Kurt Wimmer's debut film "Equilibrium" marks for originality, it is well acted, compelling and features some truly eye-popping action scenes.
After the third world war, humanity realized that human emotion was the cause of all the violence and pain. Therefore, a new society was made that, with the help of a medication called Prozium, has completely done away with human emotion and all its sources. Art, music, expressive clothing (even so much as a hair ribbon) is considered contraband, and those with it are arrested and usually killed (if they don't die fighting for the arts to begin with). Society is ruled by The Father (Pertwee), and his instruments are the Clerics, deadly soldiers skilled in combat and gun katas (a mix of martial arts and gunfighting). The best Cleric is John Preston (Bale), an emotionless and brutal man who is as deadly as they come. He's so good that he can sense who is feeling emotion. But when he forgets a dose of Prozium, he begins to realize what he's missing, and that there are some things risking everything for.
No one can play an emotionless character like Christian Bale. Well, no one that can keep the character interesting for more than a second, much less a whole film. Whether it's playing the white collar serial killer Patrick Bateman in the controversial "American Psycho" or Cleric John Preston in "Equilibrium," there is no one else who can master that intensity. Bale is perfect for the role (and Wimmer's only choice). Also good is Angus MacFayden, who is positively chilling as The Father's number one, Partridge. With his icy stare and his slow, calm nature of speaking, MacFayden gets the nape hairs on end. Sean Pertwee is solid as The Father, who's constant reminders of why emotion is bad are almost hypnotic. The weaknesses are, surprisingly, Taye Diggs and Emily Watson. Taye Diggs is miscast, and his character is poorly written. As a part of the story, Brandt (Diggs) works, but he is written and acted in a way that is inconsistent with the story; he's more emotional than Preston. Watson is especially surprising. Normally an exceptional actress who can (and will) do just about anything, Watson doesn't seem too invested in playing the ill-fated Mary O'Brien. She's supposed to be the one who changes Preston's heart, but we don't feel anything for her. Sean Bean also makes an appearance, but his role is regrettably small. The film would have been better off if he had switched places with Taye Diggs.
Wimmer has made an action movie so visually dazzling and thought-provoking (even if they aren't new questions), that many blurbs have compared it to "The Matrix." Ironically, it's an apt comparison. Both mix stylized violence with philosophy, although the action scenes in the film from the Wachowski siblings are much cooler and the philosophical questions are more original and compelling. Still, you don't see gunfighting like this anywhere else, although it's reportedly in Wimmer's next film, "Ultraviolet."
The problem is that while "Equilibrium" has cool action scenes, only a few of them rely on the gun katas. The rest are the same that can be found in any well-made sci-fi action movie. Additionally, the film is sometimes too grim for its own good (the fate of about a dozen dogs is a case in point).
All in all, "Equilibrium" is a pretty good adrenaline cocktail.
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