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Watched the movie Equilibrium (here on called EQ). I remember when my cousin suggested it, and then I read a few comments on LJ about it.
Overall, I liked it. I don't think I'd buy it, and I don't feel the desire to watch it again for a while, but overall I liked it.
Before you read any more, you should know that the best way to watch this film is to do so with as little expectations for it going in as possible.
That said, it was much better than I expected. I had low expectations because I had no memory of this coming out in theaters, and I wondered if it would be cheaply made or have a script too stupid to endure. This was not the case. It was actually a bit more lavishly made than I'd expected--- the effects were good, the sets were expansive, the costumes did not look phony at all. It looked like a well-produced film, and upon seeing it, I'm suprised it didn't have a theater run that I recall.
In look, it falls somewhere between Gattaca and Minority Report. In plot it's similar to those as well, mostly being all very Farenheit451 and 1984-ish. I would say this is nearly as good as Gattaca (which was a mediocre film with its high points), but not as good as Minority Report, which was very good.
I think this film suffers in the one-line summary it's given on the label and in the first half hour of the film-- a world were emotions are suppressed by drug doses, and the story is about one of the law enforcement officers who rebels. While the film's themes and environment steal so liberally from F*451 and 1984, including customary burning of evidence, raids on homes and people hiding illegal books and things, the cop who rebels... the Father figure that is the ruler, and a scene that, I swear, is like Orwell's Daily Two Minutes of Hate. Except, here it would be Two Minutes of Apathy... none of this really bothered me too much while I was watching. The concept (a world without emotion) seems a little stupid, but the topic is taken very seriously by the film, and given full exploration of such an idea. There are some things that they do that make the seemingly stupid idea and show you that what you think you see isn't exactly what's going on. This realization comes slowly though, because you see absolutely everything from the main character's POV. This pleased me, because I could so easily have gotten bored here. And while most of the story is predicatble in the overall sense (to anyone whose ever seen/read any of the titles above, anyway), it's surprising in little ways that make the predictability seem more like fullfilling expectations that the film gives the audience. ( better explained with spoilers, so don't look )
While the film has it's problems-- sometimes the fights get a little too pat, sometimes the various characters a little too archetypal, and a slow beginning--- it has shines in other ways. The plot picks up considerably in the middle and second half, and my interest was maintained in the first half as I watched the main character slowly begin to discover the full range of human emotion. I think the fact that they didn't rush the onset of his emotions was a wise decision, because it allowed for a more artist and in-depth approach to showing the character's progression. And here's where the best thing comes about-- Christian Bale. Christian Bale doesn't do "stoic guy" very well. What he *does* do very well, though, is "guy on the edge of a nervous breakdown desperately trying to hide it and pretend he's stoic." Which is perfect for this film. The film's best scene is when he looks out his window at the rain after the nightmare.
Christian Bale and the female lead in this movie, who I've seen somewhere but I don't know where, have yummy chemistry. I loved all the scenes where they were together. They look like they're somewhere between wanting to rip each other's clothes of or stab each other's eyeballs out. The woman did fine acting. Actually, the acting was pretty great all around. Sean Bean, yum. Taye Diggs did what he was supposed to, but I found his character lacking in anything interesting (he basically plays the same role here as Colin Ferell in Minority Report, and with less to like) or depth-- I just think that for all the gorgeousness of his face, Taye Diggs was just an okay actor.
What also surprised me, in a good way, about this film is how tactile it is. They take the themes of emotions and apply it not only to feelings, but to senses. It shows, in a very strong and moving way, how what you experience physically is deeply tied to what you feel emotionally. For the main character there's as much emotional discovery in the senation of running one's fingers along a wall as in reading illegal poetry books by Yeats. There are some lovely, lovely moments in this film along that artsy vein. Which is part of what makes this film feel kinda weird-- B-rated sci-fi Matrix-knock-offs aren't supposed to be artsy and spiritually ambitious.
Symbols are a big thing in this film-- mirrors especially. The whole film is a parable of self-examination. ( mild spoilers, but continued analysis of themes )
Overally, I liked this film. I would reccomend it for viewing pleasure.
Oh, and Christian Bale gets shirtless a few times. It's very enjoyable.
Overall, I liked it. I don't think I'd buy it, and I don't feel the desire to watch it again for a while, but overall I liked it.
Before you read any more, you should know that the best way to watch this film is to do so with as little expectations for it going in as possible.
That said, it was much better than I expected. I had low expectations because I had no memory of this coming out in theaters, and I wondered if it would be cheaply made or have a script too stupid to endure. This was not the case. It was actually a bit more lavishly made than I'd expected--- the effects were good, the sets were expansive, the costumes did not look phony at all. It looked like a well-produced film, and upon seeing it, I'm suprised it didn't have a theater run that I recall.
In look, it falls somewhere between Gattaca and Minority Report. In plot it's similar to those as well, mostly being all very Farenheit451 and 1984-ish. I would say this is nearly as good as Gattaca (which was a mediocre film with its high points), but not as good as Minority Report, which was very good.
I think this film suffers in the one-line summary it's given on the label and in the first half hour of the film-- a world were emotions are suppressed by drug doses, and the story is about one of the law enforcement officers who rebels. While the film's themes and environment steal so liberally from F*451 and 1984, including customary burning of evidence, raids on homes and people hiding illegal books and things, the cop who rebels... the Father figure that is the ruler, and a scene that, I swear, is like Orwell's Daily Two Minutes of Hate. Except, here it would be Two Minutes of Apathy... none of this really bothered me too much while I was watching. The concept (a world without emotion) seems a little stupid, but the topic is taken very seriously by the film, and given full exploration of such an idea. There are some things that they do that make the seemingly stupid idea and show you that what you think you see isn't exactly what's going on. This realization comes slowly though, because you see absolutely everything from the main character's POV. This pleased me, because I could so easily have gotten bored here. And while most of the story is predicatble in the overall sense (to anyone whose ever seen/read any of the titles above, anyway), it's surprising in little ways that make the predictability seem more like fullfilling expectations that the film gives the audience. ( better explained with spoilers, so don't look )
While the film has it's problems-- sometimes the fights get a little too pat, sometimes the various characters a little too archetypal, and a slow beginning--- it has shines in other ways. The plot picks up considerably in the middle and second half, and my interest was maintained in the first half as I watched the main character slowly begin to discover the full range of human emotion. I think the fact that they didn't rush the onset of his emotions was a wise decision, because it allowed for a more artist and in-depth approach to showing the character's progression. And here's where the best thing comes about-- Christian Bale. Christian Bale doesn't do "stoic guy" very well. What he *does* do very well, though, is "guy on the edge of a nervous breakdown desperately trying to hide it and pretend he's stoic." Which is perfect for this film. The film's best scene is when he looks out his window at the rain after the nightmare.
Christian Bale and the female lead in this movie, who I've seen somewhere but I don't know where, have yummy chemistry. I loved all the scenes where they were together. They look like they're somewhere between wanting to rip each other's clothes of or stab each other's eyeballs out. The woman did fine acting. Actually, the acting was pretty great all around. Sean Bean, yum. Taye Diggs did what he was supposed to, but I found his character lacking in anything interesting (he basically plays the same role here as Colin Ferell in Minority Report, and with less to like) or depth-- I just think that for all the gorgeousness of his face, Taye Diggs was just an okay actor.
What also surprised me, in a good way, about this film is how tactile it is. They take the themes of emotions and apply it not only to feelings, but to senses. It shows, in a very strong and moving way, how what you experience physically is deeply tied to what you feel emotionally. For the main character there's as much emotional discovery in the senation of running one's fingers along a wall as in reading illegal poetry books by Yeats. There are some lovely, lovely moments in this film along that artsy vein. Which is part of what makes this film feel kinda weird-- B-rated sci-fi Matrix-knock-offs aren't supposed to be artsy and spiritually ambitious.
Symbols are a big thing in this film-- mirrors especially. The whole film is a parable of self-examination. ( mild spoilers, but continued analysis of themes )
Overally, I liked this film. I would reccomend it for viewing pleasure.
Oh, and Christian Bale gets shirtless a few times. It's very enjoyable.
