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Equilibrium review
:. Director: Kurt Wimmer
:. Starring: Christian Bale, Emily Watson
:. Running Time: 1:49
:. Year: 2002
:. Country: USA
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A failed B thriller recycling all azimuth, Equilibrium is one of these by-products which, in the vein of the post-apocalyptic Italian productions of the 80's, sometimes has its moments.
Considering war as the result of the expression of emotions, Librium is a fascist society where art has been banished and citizens must inject themselves with a daily dose of Prozium a drug that eradicates any sensitivity. Christian Bale is a clerk, an elite cop in charge of the destruction of artwork and the extermination of the resistance. Having skipped his daily dose, he slowly becomes human, joins the resistance and awakes to the joys of art.
Shot in a grainy style in abandoned buildings with primitive special effects, Equilibrium especially suffers from post-Matrix syndrome and a total lack of originality, recycling 1984, Fahrenheit 451 and obviously, The Matrix. While Equilibrium doesn't have the budgetary and qualitative ambitions of the latter, the recent redefinition of aesthetic and technological standards by the Wachowski brothers' film and Minority Report makes this project even more obsolete. Passing the lack of credibility and means, the director thus lets himself go to unleashed action scenes that should satisfy fans of nervous third-rate movies. With epileptic editing, Equilibrium offers the complete panoply of the small action film with a rather effective string of shootings, kinetic kung fu-style beatings and saber carnage.
While a certain attempt is made in the film to develop a narrative with psychology, the only true surprise here is the presence of Christian Bale and Emily Watson. If there is no doubt as to the elementary aspect of the project, their participation harms their credibility while bringing certain legitimacy to the film. After Reign of Fire and now Equilibrium, let's hope that Christian Bale does not become the little prince of B movies, following the example of Christopher Lambert.
Fred Thom
 Movie Reviews: from 1998 to 2011
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