neumu [ cinematronic ]




	Equilibrium
	Kurt Wimmer Christian Bale, Taye Diggs, Emily Watson, William Fichtner 2002		In the land of the guilty pleasure, look up at the marquee and you'll find the feature presentation "Equilibrium" — a convenient marriage of "Fahrenheit 451" and "Logan's Run" that is nowhere near as cerebral and unsettling as the former and about as tacky and wacky as the latter. It's set in a futuristic society where order reigns, emotion is suppressed and peace is enforced by the elimination of all those bothersome, mind-stimulating books, art and music. And everybody, kids included, has to take their regular dose of "Prozium" to keep them on a bland, even keel. Get it? Prozium. Like Prozac and Lithium — together! Anyhoo, Christian Bale ("American Psycho") is John Preston, a top government cop dedicated to rooting out all shreds of illegal culture and crushing any free-thinkers. Preston skips a Prozium dosage; he starts to feel and falls in love with a female prisoner (the great Emily Watson) in touch with her emotions. After a few more missed dosages, he's seeking out other emotionally available rebels to smash the state with ray-guns and martial arts. Nothin' but hyped-up sci-fi clichés. What's not to like?