The Equalizer

Starring: Denzel Washington, Chloe Grace Moretz, Marton Csokas, David Harbour, Hayley Bennett, Melissa Leo, Bill Pullman

Director: Antoine Fuqua

Producer: Denzel Washington, Richard Wenk, Todd Black, Tony Eldridge, Jason Blumenthal

Writer: Richard Wenk

Music: Harry Gregson-Williams

Cinematographer: Mauro Fiore

Editor: John Refoua

Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller

Running Time: 132 minutes

Rated: MA15+

The Equalizer is an Action, Crime, Thriller, based on the television show by the same name. Adapted for screen by Richard Wenk (The Expendables 2), and with the gritty direction of Antoine Fuqua (Training Day), this film is like a gravitational vortex, pulling you in from beginning to end.

The pacing of the film moves similar to Fuqua’s past works – steady, straightforward, and composed at the start, only to be drastically obliterated as the plot unravels.  The film opens on the mundane life of Robert McCall (Denzel Washington), a home hardware worker who dedicates his life to order and routine. He seems ordinary enough, although his constant vague-outs, insomnia, and the vigilant nature in which he attends to his monotonous actions makes the mystery of his characters past palpable. In a series of visits to his local diner, he encounters a young girl (Chloë Grace Moretz) whom he senses is in a calamitous situation for which he cannot stand idly by, thus fulfilling the desire to do something about it.

The action scenes of the film fuse along a MacGyver-meets-Bourne element. Set against a backdrop of present-day Boston, Denzel Washington brings human elements to what could have been a very 2-Dimentional character. This makes our connection to Robert somewhat encouraging, despite the nature in which he deals with certain situations. The story touches on issues that are relevant yet ambiguous in current society, which enables us to spectate in disbelief at times. The tone of the film is complimented by an eclectic use of cinematography, which ranges from wide establishing shots to tight close-ups and extreme close-ups. Another artistic choice is the various uses of motion speeds, ranging between real-time and slow motion. The writing was straight up, to the point, and would appeal to anyone who believes in upholding justice. There were a couple of music choices used during the end credits which I wasn’t too thrilled about - as I felt they were chosen more for their urban/pop merit than for encapsulating the overall tone of the film - however, it was the end credits, so it wasn’t a plausible reason to discredit the film.

Overall, this film is well-written, well-acted, well shot, and a very exciting cinematic experience. I highly recommend The Equalizer to anyone who loves action, vigilantism and Denzel Washington!

Also starring; Marton Csokas (xXx), David Harbour (A Walk Among The Tombstones), Haley Bennett (Marley & Me), Jonny Skourtis (Glee), Melissa Leo (Prisoners), and Bill Pullman.