For some I may be a pitiful example of a mystery writer. I
get squeamish around a lot of blood and guts. While my most recent book
(Killing Frost— have I plugged it enough?) was more graphic than usual, it
doesn’t hold a candle to these two contemporary crime tales. I’m not taking a moral stand here. I don’t
believe in censorship. I do believe in warnings, though. These are two tough films. In one, however, the violence is
intrinsic. In the other, well, it seems
over the top.
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| Liam Neeson As Matthew Scudder |
A Walk Among The Tombstones — The violence in this gritty P.I
film seems organic. It is the nature of the beast. Not only is Matt Scudder (Liam Neeson) believable as a kind of
determined hulk, but the story is, if you follow the news, grounded in reality.
The film (2014) was directed by Scott
Frank and based on the book of the same name by acclaimed veteran series
writer Lawrence Block. Scudder is
largely indifferent human. Generally speaking, right and wrong are empty
concepts. Taking joy in unnecessary cruelty is something else and P.I. Scudder
handles the situation with proportional retaliation. I hope there’s another Scudder
film in the works.
The Equalizer — The original “Equalizer,” a TV series on which
this movie was loosely (and I mean loosely) based, starred Edward Woodward. The
original provided the title, the name of the title character, his former
profession and, in a sense, the premise of the plot. Sometimes people find
themselves in situations not entirely of their doing and because they are up
against a power they can neither defeat nor escape, they need help – usually to
beat down a bully. As a private eye writer, stopping bullies is one of my special
interests as well. As these kinds of
stories end, we get a sense of fulfillment that the bully has received his or
her comeuppance.
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| Denzel Washington As The Equalizer |
I looked forward to Denzel
Washington’s portrayal of the ex-CIA agent Robert McCall who in the past
with a little more care than the average vigilante equalized opposing forces. Washington’
performed well in crime fiction films before. He was Walter Mosley’s creation, Easy Rawlins, in Devil in a Blue Dress and
Frank Lucas in American Gangster, and
he has had praiseworthy performances in a wide range of films and plays. He’s good here too. However I’d advise
viewers that this isn’t a thriller so much as a horror movie — though as
Seinfield would say, “not that there’s anything wrong with that.” The 2014 film
exhibits lots of truly unique ways to puncture human flesh. In fact we find an
imaginative final battle in a large-box home store with all sorts of gore-producing
gadgets not readily available in most street fights. I was more amused than
frightened when Washington’s character who moved at a snail’s pace throughout
the film to create his sense of calm in the face of danger was also filmed in
slow motion to further enhance a sense of menace. He spends the whole movie looking at his
watch. I know why. I think he was
worried the film was going on a little too long.
Another Equalizer
is planned. I hope they spend more time on the psychological rather than
physiological and much less time on gadgets of bloodletting. More cunning, less cutting.
If you are called to the spirits, remember the night is pretty
hardcore. Whatever you pour, the glass should contain nothing else but an ice
cube or two.
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