Equilibrium

On Balance, You Can Feel Good

Main Cast: Christian Bale, Taye Diggs, Emily Watson, Angus MacFadyen

Director: Kurt Wimmer

Sort of a cross between Fahrenheit 451 and 1984, this action film has a soul. It makes you think.

It is mid 21st Century after Word War Three. The war was caused by rampant human emotion, which is now banned. People take a drug that dampens such dangerous feelings, and there is no crime and no war. Or so it seems. We meet the “Clericks”, super-agents that go out with the standard police to stamp out pockets of resistance, or Sense Offenders, who treasure “things”… and feel about them. John Preston (Bale) is the top agent, and he seems a cold bloke at first. But then he stops taking his drug, and starts to feel…

It wouldn’t be much of a movie without that, of course. He tries to deal with his emotions, especially hard after meeting with Mary O’Brian (Watson), a member of the resistance he was forced to turn in. He also tries not to be caught by his partner, Brandt (Diggs), while stringing along his boss (MacFadyen). Through it all are some very cool action scenes, with something called “Gun-Kata”: a sort of martial-arts with guns instead of swords (although those also show up at the end).

I won’t go into anything else, as there are a few good surprises. The tone is a bit grim, but certainly suits the material. I can recommend this one when you want to have something to think about after the last shot has been fired.