Released: September 26th, 2014
Rated: R
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Starring: Denzel Washington, Marton Csokas, Chloë
Grace Moretz, David Harbour, Bill Pullman, Melissa Leo
Directed by: Antoine Fuqua
Written by: Richard Wenk
Personal Bias Alert: Never seen any the television show or any of Fuqua’s movies
7.8 of 10
So
how many of you managed to see The
Equalizer without realizing it’s based on an ‘80s television series,
because I somehow did. Not that I would
expect myself to remember the show; It technically lasted into my infant years,
but for all intents and purposes it was on before my time. Granted, I didn’t pay much attention to this
film’s promotion either, but I saw the trailer several times and don’t recall
it ever mentioning the series (I do recall it advertising the use of a brand
new Eminem song, though). So why leave
it by the wayside? Was it bad? Did it fail to retain an audience? Normally, these questions would nag at me, but
the film’s so rooted in genre that it felt familiar even without references to
the series.
The Equalizer draws on many genres, but
it primarily mixes the slow burn of a spy thriller with the moral certainty of a
revenge pic. Robert (Denzel Washington) is
our former spy (or old man, to steal the film’s The Old Man and the Sea metaphor), a guy who’s unable to turn a
blind eye to the abuse of a young woman.
Utilizing some of his formidable skills, his quest to save her
eventually leads him into a much larger battle than he intended, and to start a
habit of sticking up for anyone who’s being taken advantage of.
The
film exists in a black and white
world, where stereotypical bad guys (Russian mobster, corrupt cops, etc.) are
hunted down by Robert to ‘equalize’ the score.
In such a basic world, it may seem odd to point out how necessary the
film’s prolonged setup is, but giving Robert time to establish normal
relationships and his own moral barometer goes a long way to making the later
action sequences work. In fact, these
early scenes brim with so much life, particularly the ones between Robert and the
young woman played by Chloë Grace Moretz, that you forget you’re watching a
bunch of setup. I’d be happy to pay for a
feature length character study of those two.
Unfortunately,
Moretz doesn’t get enough screen time to fully establish her character, but she
knocks the few scenes she does have out of the park. That lack of depth applies to all the characters
not played by Washington, but the assembled cast of recognizable character
actors play their parts well enough that I didn’t really mind. The most attention is given to Robert’s
alter, the formidable Russian mobster played with sneering glee by Marton
Csokas. I’m not generally a fan of such
one-note bad guys, but the barely contained menace that Csokas brings to the
role won me over.
Helping
to sell this black and white world is the stylish cinematography, which
threatened to be a bit on the nose with its prominent use of shadow, but
ultimately sold the whole theme. I mean,
there’s few portraits of evil in American cinema more classic than a man
leaning confidently forward, one half of his face murky in the darkness, calmly
spouting threats in a Russian accent.
Sorry Russia, I have nothing against you, but the Cold War had long
reaching effects on Hollywood.
There
are times when the style goes too far, particularly when Director Antoine Fuqua
breaks out the slow motion, and the film becomes too actiony for its own
good. This occurs mostly during the ending,
which has a couple of ridiculous sequences that took me out of the film, but
also features a great set piece that’s milked for all its worth. That set piece is a reminder that The Equalizer works best when it sticks
to the basics, letting its stellar cast and slow burning tension carry the
audience through.
Other Notes:
Ø I
always wait to wipe off the murder weapon I “borrowed” from my employer until I’m
in public and seconds away from returning it.
Ø Don’t
go to this film for Bill Pullman or Melissa Leo. It’s not worth it.
Ø Cue
a dramatic walk home from the grocery store.
