Denzel being brilliant - a very good film

Rating: 6/10 (20 February 2017)

I remember seeing The Equaliser, the TV show, when I was young, staring Edward Woodward. This is the same, but totally different.
Denzel plays Robert "Bob" McCall, and we see him initially start his days in simplicity, in a mundane job, in a simple home, reading, not sleeping and enjoying quiet solitude and routine. The pace of the film can be described the same way. Quiet solitude and routine. Nothing happens loudly or quickly and you have to pay attention. Denzel is at his charming best. Think Training Day, think Safe House and Magnificent Seven with the charm of the Prince in Much Ado About Nothing.
Antoine Fuqua, Director, also working with Denzel on Training Day and Magnificent Seven, is flawless, seamless and deeply committed to a viewing experience that immerses the viewer. Often, more often than not, lighting is low in The Equalizer and little is said or explained. What happens in the dark, is salient but not narrated. This makes for a slow burning piece of great cinema; tension and pressure mount and you feel it. Like John Wick (Keanu Reeves) as "Baba Yaga" - the bogeyman - Washington's dealings with Russian mob are equally devastating, accomplished and quiet.
Watching the film, you don't know who Robert McCall is, just the guy in the 24hour diner reading through the list of 100 books before you die (incidentally I'm shamefully only on 30), and making tentative friends with Alina or "Teri," brilliantly played by Kick Ass star Chloe Grace Moretz, the young prostitute. You don't know who he is, but that is drip fed to you through the film. Unlike other heroes McCall doesn't do what he does for glory or recognition, he does it for justice and moral right. You don't hear Teri's story either, which is a blessing, but not having backstories and motivations narrated is a clever ploy for you to fill in your own blanks, or keep the pace quiet and slow. Moretz and Washington's friendship is lovely and believable. He is a trustworthy person, and like his unobtrusive violence, righting wrongs, you don't see sexual violence in this film either; the awful things Teri has to endure are not spelled out, which is a relief. Less is more. Martin Csokas, a good actor, but known for his hammy portrayal and terribly overdone Russian accent in XXX, was perfectly cast here. He too played it understated and deadly with the confidence or someone who has never been realistically challenged before, possibly drawing on his experience of playing Celeborn in LOTR ... quiet graceful and deadly! When I say unobtrusive violence, meaning you don't always see it, sometimes you do. This is not a film for under 15s by any stretch of the imagination. There's some very up close uses for common household items put to alternative use in the film. If you are a bit squeamish or sensitive, don't watch. That said, Fugua uses darkness and suggestion well even in these scenes. Everyone in the cast put in performances to be proud of, but Washington of course was the stand out. He truly is a phenomenal performer. Whatever he touches is golden, and I very much like seeing age and experience, and economy of violent movement, showing professionalism and realism over glamour and youth and showy unrealistic fight scenes any day. Especially with Denzel! Marton Csokas, known for his terrible Russian accent and hammy acting in XXX, is infinitely more formidable as a Russian mob fixer, here.