Man with a Plan

The Equalizer 

At times I have used this outlet to express some of my frustrations with Hollywood. I have mainly protested that there is no real originality in film anymore. Remaking or rebooting films seems to be the most popular avenue Hollywood has taken. Of course there is also going down the path to make a movie based on a TV show. By the way, I do not count the Sex in the City films because I felt they were just extensions of the HBO series. I’m referring to films like Bewitched, Charlie’s Angels, and more recently 21 Jump St. With the trend having no end in sight, Columbia Pictures released an adaptation of their own, The Equalizer starring Denzel Washington (Man On Fire).

Robert McCall (Washington) lives a quiet life by himself. McCall has his daily routine that consists of working at Home Mart during the day and visiting a small diner at night. Though a reserved man, McCall positively impacts the people around him. One such person McCall tries to steer onto a better path is Alina (Chloe Grace Moretz If I Stay) or known to “customers” as ‘Teri’. Things change when Alina is hospitalized after a severe beating and McCall decides to help beyond giving her advice. What McCall doesn’t realize is that Alina’s “employers” are deeply connected to the Russian mob. So what starts as a simple negotiation for Alina, quickly turns into something McCall didn’t bet on.

Okay so I have never seen the TV show that this film is based, but after reading a brief description that show sounds like Burn Notice in New York. Ex-operative who uses his “skills” to help people in need. This film however, makes Burn Notice look like Brooklyn Nine-Nine. The action scenes are violent, earning the film a firm R rating. Not at all saying that the violence is a bad thing, just bringing a little perspective. The action scenes are actually done quite well and brought up some memories of The Replacement Killers; an earlier film also directed by Antoine Fuqua. My problem with the action scenes were that they were few and far between, making this film more of a thriller than an action film.

Denzel Washington delivers another good performance in this film. Just not a very memorable one. Don’t get me wrong, I love Denzel. I think he and Liam Neeson are proving to the world that older actors can still kick butt. I just wouldn’t say that this performance was on par with his portrayal of Pvt. Tip in Glory. I will say however, the way Washington can darken his soul with just the look in his eyes during some close ups is remarkable. Washington’s nemesis in the film is Marton Csokas (Noah). Csokas was born to play villains and his representation of Teddy in this movie is further evidence of my point. Csokas uses subtle facial movements and the sly tone in his voice turns this simple villain into a nasty sociopath. 

Washington pairs with Training Day director Antoine Fuqua once again. Fuqua has had some highs (Training Day) and some lows (Bait) in his career, but I believe he is an underrated action film director. Fuqua has a way of keeping the action intense, while still keeping the characters intriguing. This film is no different, especially since the action is sparse. Fuqua focuses on the characters and building that relationship with the audience. Fuqua achieves this with close ups on the main characters or making sure those main characters are the only person in the shot. Fuqua also uses a marvelously haunting score by Harry Gregson-Williams (Prometheus) to create a very gritty tone for the film.

Now for the downside of the film. First and foremost Moretz is not in the film enough. I do not say this because I have become a huge fan of hers, but because she is literally in the film for 7 minutes collectively. This amount of time doesn’t justify the lengths McCall goes to ensure her safety. The reason for her absence is of course explained at the end of the film, I just don’t accept it. Which brings me to my second point, because of Moretz’s disappearing act, McCall is forced to interact more with the other minor characters. Now after rereading what I just wrote, I can understand if there is confusion. Let me explain. The main reason for McCall to go on this journey through the film is ‘gone’, so he starts to go through “mini TV episodes” for parts of the film like dealing with corrupt cops and dealing out justice to a thief. All this shows McCall’s good nature, but ultimately takes time away from the main plot and who he is doing all of this for.

 

The Equalizer is a very good effort by Antoine Fuqua and his cast. Just wish Fuqua would have fixed the pacing issues because if so this film could have been more than good…it could have been outstanding.

The Verdict: Worth Your Time