Leave your emotions at the door, you will not be allowed to dislike this film... (Equilibrium (DVD))

Member Name: esthersmile

Product:	Equilibrium (DVD)
Date:	12/11/03 (39 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cool, Thought-provoking, Great action and acting

Disadvantages: Slow at times, Can be confusing

i was determined not to like it, I don't like Christian Bale (after seeing him all bloody and naked in American Psycho), I didn't believe the concept, I thought it would be a rip-off of the matrix and I'm not a big sci-fi fan. So when my boyfriend brought it home he was taking a very big risk on this one.

Halfway through the film, my attitude hadn't changed much, sure there had been some cool action scenes, and the usual (brief bu important) cameo from teh heavily-hyped Sean bean, but nothing to write home about so far.

Then I got confused about thinking about the plot. If all emotions are supprssed, how can some peopl in the film clearly be showing emotion, how does society work? I was trying to talk to my boyfriend about these puzzling matters despite his frequent requests to "shut up" so I persevered. And that's when it hit me, when i stopped puzzling over the film and just watched it, without thinking about all the different things that were wring with it, it was actually very enjoyable.

The main premise - that all people in the futuristic society have to take pills to suppress their emotions - is confusing an unbelieveable until you realise that this doesn't matter. when you think about it, there are many ways in which this can be accounted for in the film - the existence of the resitance for one (that's not a spoiler, it's pretty much given from the very beginning of the film).

the action sequences are absolutely stunning, the whole concept of the statistically determined battle technique is incredibly interesting (albeit utterly ridiculous) and looks stunning. The black and white of the sets set off by the blood really work, and the scene just before the final battle, while a little matrix-esque is very effective.

For those who haven't seen the movie though, i won't go on about the plot, since it is vital for the first half of the film that one has as much to inter
est them as possible, since it can drag on a bit. bu once the stage has been set, the opportunities fro cross and double-cross are apparent and Bale's character begins the ascent from unsympathetic government agent to feling, heroic saviour (Agent Smith to Neo, if you like), a feat which he pulls off magnificently, the pace picks up, interest is sparked and the film picks up momentum like a man trapped in a snowball rolling down a very steep hill. No, I don't know what that last simile was about either, sorry!

So, for those who think it's going to be a mindless action-filled cheese-fest, look again, you might find something that you like, that you would have missed otherwise. I did.

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