Skip to main content

Trance

A Neo-noir crime thriller, Trance is glossy, good looking and has a helter skelter of a plot that will keep most people guessing until the bitter end. Danny Boyle is at his directorial best, with sleek and smooth direction which is a treat. Moving away from the 28 Days Later, Slumdog Millionaire subject matters, Boyle has gone back to his dark roots with a movie which is reminiscent of Shallow Grave with its focus on greed, violence and the underbelly of human nature.

Simon (James McAvoy) is an art auctioneer. However, during a robbery at the auction house where he works he is hit on the head and loses his memory. As he recovers he soon realises that he needs to remember where the stolen painting has gone or suffer dire consequences. In a desperate attempt to regain his memory Simon visits a hypnotherapist named Elizabeth (Rosario Dawson) in the hopes that she will help him to locate the stolen artwork. What results is a journey into the mind which offers an unreliable narrator with plot twists to make the head spin.

The acting is excellent and McAvoy carries the film with ease and style. It is also refreshing to see McAvoy in a role where he speaks with his own accent (something which should happen more often). Rosario Dawson turns in a stellar performance that is nuanced and subtle, and Vincent Cassel is brilliant as usual, offering a menacing criminal who is more than meets the eye. The film plays with the stereotypes usually meted out for both Cassel and McAvoy, which all adds to the rollercoaster ride.

The film owes a lot to Nolan's Inception and the moment the plot seems resolved it will veer
somewhere unexpected. So, a word of warning: pay attention or be very confused. Why not enter into the fun of the film and jump on for the ride? It's good looking, a little grimy and a lot of fun.

Four stars. Boyle having fun with a neo-noir plot. Fun, fast, slick and entertaining.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKdm-5gbtgo

http://www.trancethemovie.com/


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

American Sniper - Review - Spoiler Free - Oscars Countdown

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller Director: Clint Eastwood Genre: Drama Running time: 132 Certificate: 15 If you're interested in this movie then you've probably already heard about that baby, and if you haven't you are about to. Where to start with American Sniper ? My hopes were for a moving portrayal of the effects of conflict in a high pressure military role. I also thought that it might take an interesting look at the families of service men and the sacrifices made both at home and on tour. My hopes were not realised. This film is based on a true story, the source material is the autobiography by Chris Kyle. It follows the life of Kyle (Bradley Cooper) who grows up with a need to protect others. This combined with his environment leads him into a career as a sniper in the US Navy. As his career progresses his home life becomes slowly more fraught. Does it Hit the Mark? This was always going to be a difficult movie to review because it is based on auto...

Welcome

I have a confession. I love films. I can't remember a time when films were not a part of my life and it's getting worse. Some might say I'm a geek but I'm sure there are others like me, lurking in the shadows, coveting the latest box-set like the one ring to rule them all. We are a secretive breed, perfectly ordinary looking (most of the time), keeping their love of film under wraps. Ask the next person you see about their latest trip to the cinema and you will spot us; we are the ones whose eyes shine in a slightly manic way as we start to speak excitedly about plot and lighting. Well, I know that there are loads of film blogs out there but I thought it was time to confess and embrace my film nerd status by commenting on and reviewing films, from the latest releases to classic favourites, and delving into the world of film through favourite scenes, fanboy facts and even some more technical and analysis posts for the real film nerd out there. I hope that yo...

Captain Phillips Review - No spoilers

Starring: Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdirahman Director: Paul Greengrass Genre: True story, action, drama Running time: 134 minutes The first thing to mention about Captain Phillips is that it is gripping; the second is that it is long. Now this is something of a personal bugbear. Films are getting increasingly long, and what would have been an entertaining 90 minute film in the 1980s has become an epic of three hours in the present. Enough already, movies are too long. However, the fact that Captain Phillips didn't feel lengthy is a true testament to how well the film has been made. In fact, with this movie the time flew. The engrossing plot was enough to keep everyone on the edge of their seat and the tension could be felt throughout the room. Familiar or not with the actual events, this film is riveting. Based on the true life story surrounding the...