"You are what you are in this world"

Rating: 7/10 (25 December 2014)

If that line from the movie were true, Denzel Washington and Antoine Fuqua are the embodiment of it in "The Equalizer".
Those familiar with Antoine Fuqua's filmography know that he likes it gritty, dark and violent, but also that his films are very much character-driven. That's what separates this film from your average action, revenge-type movie.
Denzel Washington is Robert McCall, a man with a mysterious past who strikes an unlikely relationship with a young prostitute (Chloe Grace-Moretz). This relationship and what comes of it will make his past come clashing with his desire to leave it behind.
Washington plays a broken man at odds with his choices, and it's no surprise how well he can play it. After all, he's done it before. But make no mistake, this is not "Man on Fire"...This film is much slower and takes its time exploring both the character and his choices, which as the film progresses seem logical and consistent with what you've seen. It doesn't have Tony Scott's flare and visual tricks, but it's much smoother, less distracting, slicker and atmospheric.
The action scenes are mostly well done, and Marton Czokas plays a worthy adversary to Denzel's McCall. Yes, some of the dialog is a tad cliché and some lines seem out of place, but it won't pull you out of the movie: this is not a movie about great dialog and it certainly won't win an Oscar for best screenplay; its strengths lie in the exploration of the character, his motivations and inner conflicts, as well as in the creation of a great visual atmosphere totally ad-hoc with the story. In the end, that's really what the film is about: a man, his past, which is never entirely revealed but does help to understand him, and how it will affect his future decisions (I did say mostly well done because for most of the film the actions scenes were actually plausible and added realism to the film, whereas the final showdown does go over the top...It's fun, mind you...but highly unrealistic. When you see it you'll know why)
One additional aspect I'd like to highlight is the soundtrack, which contains songs by Eminem and Zach Hensey, among others, and really adds to the general dark atmosphere of the film. Sometimes songs in films are badly chosen and kill the mood...It's the complete opposite here, they enhance it and help heighten emotions.
I'm not a huge fan of Fuqua's previous films, but I did enjoy Training Day, The Replacement Killers and Shooter for what they were. This movie is a step up in pace, story and visuals, while keeping some of his trademarks. If you like dark, well-paced gritty thrillers, or Denzel walking around with a broken gaze and nothing to lose, this film is definitely for you.