The Equalizer - Review

The Equalizer

Plot summary:

Robert McCall has left his old life as a CIA agent behind him and now lives a quiet life. But all this changes on one particular day, when an acquaintance of his, Alina, AKA Teri, who’s an underage prostitute, gets brutally assaulted by her Russian handlers. With his desire to seek justice for the helpless re-ignited, McCall sets out to wreak vengeance upon the people responsible. And he doesn’t stop there – McCall continues his one-man army mission to take down the entire organization behind this, brick by brick, body by body.

Review:

The movie introduces into the character of Robert McCall, played by Denzel Washington, deeply. He is shown to be an insomniac, and suffering from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder(OCD), although you really can’t say he suffers from it because he utilizes it well, from keeping a strict daily routine to cleaning, and to even killing. He’s shown to be lost – as if there’s nothing really of significant importance in his life or in what he does currently. Coming to Alina, played by Chloe Grace Moretz, although her screen-time may not be long, the movie delves deep enough into her character as well, depicting a girl who has been dragged into a life she did not choose, and yet holds on to a hope that she could someday live the life she dreams of. Plus it also introduces us to the character Nicolai Itchenko, who’s under the alias Teddy Rechen, played by Marton Csokas – a psychopathic loose-cannon, and a so-called “fixer” of problems.

Denzel Washington really brings the character of McCall to life. It’s all synchronized, from the movements, to the look, to the speech. His relentless one-man kill-squad role is pretty convincing, down to the look in his eye. And Marton Csokas is equally convincing in his acting, considering all those aspects as well. It’s almost as if it’s natural. I guess you could they that the both of them equalize well. And not forgetting Chloe Grace Moretz, whose acting is also noteworthy in meeting the aspects of her role.

A notable aspect in this movie is its symbolism and messages. In the beginning of the movie, McCall is shown to be reading a book, in which, as McCall explains it, an old man catches a fish, and as he attempts to take the fish ashore, sharks eat it. And as the sharks eat the fish and the fish fights for its life, the old man comes to respect the fish and its fight for survival. This, symbolizing two kinds of opponents that one would face in life: one which brings out the best in a person, and the other, which reaps no positivity in confrontation whatsoever. And the movie also conveys the message that you got to be who you are in this world, no matter what.

The lighting, the backgrounds, the setting, and the music, all combined well in setting the varying moods, be it sadness or suspense. The build-up to the fight scenes, with the changes in lighting, in my opinion was amazing. And showing McCall’s OCD working, planning and calculating a strategy based on his surroundings was indeed, interesting. Both were good to stir up some tension. And the action was pretty awesome – brutal and bloody. I loved it. The cinematography and the editing were both definitely spectacular, especially in the action scenes. And the added slow-motion scenes during the explosions and during the final encounter between McCall and Nicolai were brilliant. And I loved the scene enveloping the final encounter between the two. It was pretty intense, and way more brutal than the previous ones, and the setting was especially brilliant for it. This movie is just brilliant.

Catch the trailer here:

The Equalizer - Official Trailer

And get the movie here:

The Equalizer