3.5 stars. Rated R, for strong bloody violence, profanity and sexual vulgarity
By Derrick Bang
I want Denzel Washington’s Robert
McCall living in my neighborhood.
Like, immediately. Yesterday, if
possible.
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| Eventually, inexorably, the vicious Teddy (Marton Csokas, left) tracks down the elusive Robert McCall (Denzel Washington). Their meeting is deceptively cheerful and polite, each man sizing up the other. But we know, without question, that their next encounter won't be anywhere near this benign... |
In the interests of full
disclosure, scripter Richard Wenk’s take on McCall owes very little to the
1980s television series that starred Edward Woodward, and which gives this film
its name; this updated McCall feels far more like novelist Lee Child’s Jack
Reacher (and I definitely refer to the character in Child’s books, and not Tom
Cruise’s laughable big-screen interpretation).
Like Reacher, Washington’s McCall
is the epitome of calm, methodical über-cool: a seasoned warrior who remains
unfazed by any bad guys, regardless of their degree of malevolence, or their
superiority in numbers. Watching this McCall go to work is the most delicious
of vicarious guilty pleasures; it’s hard not to stand up and cheer.
But our reaction wouldn’t be
nearly as satisfying, were McCall played by a lesser actor, or if Wenk hadn’t
done such a fine job of setting up both character and premise. I’m frankly
surprised that a film with such subtle touches could come from director Antoine
Fuqua, more frequently known for noisy, overblown and often nasty popcorn
thrillers such as Shooter, Brooklyn’s Finest and Olympus Has Fallen.
Most of Fuqua’s efforts aren’t highlighted
by thoughtful or intelligent scripts, but this one’s a welcome exception. And
yes, even if he reverts to form in the climax, by then he has (mostly) earned
the right to do so.
Washington grants him that
privilege.
McCall is introduced, during a
very languid first act, as one of many cheerful employees at a Boston-based Home
Mart, a huge construction store clearly modeled, in everything but name, on
Home Depot outlets. He merrily interacts with his fellow workers, clearly
delighted to greet them each morning. He takes a greater interest in some, such
as Jenny (Anastasia Mousis), one of the cashiers; and Ralphie (Johnny
Skourtis), an amiable lunch pal hoping to drop a few pounds in order to qualify
for a promotion to security guard.
At home, living alone, McCall is
obsessively neat and tidy. But the cracks in his façade slip in, at first
almost unnoticed. He’s always up before his alarm clock goes off. He has
trouble sleeping at night. More crucially, Washington’s features carry some
massive burden: McCall radiates sorrow and regret, and we start to wonder if
his public face represents some sort of penance.
