Equilibrium

Starring: Christian Bale, Sean Bean, Emily Watson, Taye Diggs, Dominic Purcell, John Keogh, Sean Pertwee, William Fichtner, Angus Macfadyen, Matthew Harbour
Directed by: Kurt Wimmer
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Drama, Science Fiction
2002

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: In the near future, all people are required to take a suppressant to prevent them from having emotions. An enforcement official (Christian Bale) starts to question his role in the society.

Review:

Tim: I generally enjoyed Kurt Wimmer's Equilibirum. It feels like it borrows a great deal from The Matrix and doesn't do anything as effectively as that film. But, it still offers an interesting view of a dystopian future and it features some of the more interesting fight scenes I've seen. It has its flaws, but it's still generally enjoyable.

A lot of what you'll think about this movie depends on how you feel about the premise. To prevent war, murder, most crimes, people are forced to take an injection that tampers down their emotions to the point where they aren't feeling anything- no anger, lust, jealousy, rage, but also no happiness, joy, hope. Part of this premise felt ridiculous to me, but I recognize America is over-medicated as is, so maybe this future doesn't seem so outlandish. The part that felt hard to swallow was the relentless crackdowns on any "Sense Offenders" who have stopped taking the drugs, or those who collect illegal items- art, music, books, anything that might make you feel something. This just seemed a bit more ridiculous- if everyone is already taking drugs to hamper their emotions, why does it matter if they have a book of Yeats' poetry? The destruction of works of art makes for a compelling visual, so I understand why it was included. It sort of makes sense, if you don't think too hard about it. Now, suspending your disbelief a bit does make the story interesting- imagine the bland future world where humanity has stopped crime, murder, and war, and all it had to sacrifice was anything that made life beautiful or meaningful. It's such a stupid premise that it could actually happen. I can see how even that ridiculous concept would be a place certain groups of people would embrace.

The cast definitely helps. Christian Bale hadn't quite perfected his acting approach here, but he brings a nice gravitas to the role. He takes it seriously, which builds the entire film's credibility. Bale is a very talented actor and he's strong in the role. He's purposely reserved for a good deal of the film, but he does get to display a few bouts of emotion. What Bale does best, though, is show the simmering emotions, just beneath the surface. He's terrific that appearing stoic, with just the faintest hints of what's really happening underneath. For that reason, he was the absolute perfect actor for this role. I loved seeing Sean Bean, but I wish he had more to do. As he always does, he makes an impact with his limited supporting role. Emily Watson was good, although she doesn't get nearly enough to do. Her performance is stark and you find yourself thinking about her character, but overall, she's pretty limited. Taye Diggs might be one of the least talented actors of the cast, but you wouldn't know it from his performance. He's actually really solid. I disliked his character (as we're supposed to), but he makes an impact on the film. I walked away from this film quite impressed with him. William Fichtner gives a really interesting performance and you wish he had more screen time. Angus Macfadyen holds your attention, too. As a whole, the cast was surprisingly good and a big reason why I liked the film.

This brings me to the action scenes. That's really the main item of praise I'd heard about this film. It probably took me 10 years after first hearing those sequences praised to where I actually sat down and watched the movie. They are certainly a highlight of the film, but they're also difficult to describe. Watching the characters (mostly Bale) twist and turn, swinging their arms, firing shots, jutting this way and that- it's all mesmerizing to watch. You've never quite seen fight scenes like this. Part of that is because this film takes a quite unique approach to these fights. Part of it is because the whole thing is ridiculous. It's interesting, as I watched these original fight sequences I was simultaneously in awe of the choreography and scoffing at the utter ridiculousness of them. The movie quickly explains this approach to fighting and it just never makes sense. In real life, it could never work. It's beyond absurd. Anyone trying to do this would get killed in seconds. If you can't get past that, the movie doesn't work. If you go with it, the fight sequences can be stunning. I was somewhere in the middle. I had to stifle laughs at various times because the fights are just so illogical. However, I also loved watching them. What that meant for me was that I appreciated the movie for these, but I could never really take it seriously. That definitely hurts the overall film to an extent.

As a whole, I liked Equilibrium. There's nothing quite like the movie. It tried to do what The Matrix did, but charting its own course. Whereas that movie changed the landscape of cinema, Equilibrium feels more like an interesting experiment that didn't quite get there. I honestly think Kurt Wimmer just isn't talented enough as a director. I saw his 2006 film, Ultraviolet, which was terrible. His worst sensibilities were limited here, which is why I'd consider it a good movie. However, it's one that has quite visible flaws that prevent it from being what it wanted to be.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7


If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Matrix, Ultraviolet, Reign of Fire