carbon14 Blog

In a world where emotion is chemically suppressed and feelings are forbidden, a cleric sworn to uphold this law fails to take his morning dose.

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This film is a gem. At first glance it looks like a cheap Matrix knock-off but look a littel deeper and you'll soon see that it is no such thing.

With strong echoes of Bradbury's 'Fahrenheight 451', Equilibrium is breathtaking in its single-minded clarity. Its clean looks and well executed but infrequent action sequences take you effortlessly through a simple story well told. The plot is not complex, but occasional twists keep up the excitement, even when you are on the verge of the denouement.

Not too much time is spent on the back-story, it is cleverly woven through the scenery to give you all the background necessary without distracting from the here and now. The most effective of these techniques is the use of Sean Pertwee's 'Big Brother' narration throughout the earlier scenes.

Christian Bale plays his role almost flawlessly and is ably supported by a cast containing a sometimes surprising mix of those whose faces are familiar, and those whose faces should be.

I give it 8 out of 10.