"Trance" - directed by Danny Boyle
Trance is the sort of film that you only get to make if you are either an up and coming filmmaker and you can do it on a very low budget with an unknown cast or you are the sort of director that has clout after say a big Oscar win and you can do whatever the hell you want.
I like that Danny Boyle has been both things.
With his debut feature "Shallow Grave" he produced the sort of lean, mean thrill show that in many ways "Trance"- his follow up to the multi Oscar winning "Slumdog Millionaire" and critically acclaimed "127 Hours" is.
There are similarities - the small cast lead by a Scotsman, some pretty startling violence, few locations and twists galore.
Many people are going to compare "Trance" to "Inception" and this is at once appropriate and inappropriate.
Both films concern the extraction of memories and the manipulation of the mind.
Both have plots that are open to interpretation and I'm sure lots of debate.
But in many ways these are as different as tea and coffee.
Both hot beverages made with plant extracts but not really the same things.
"Trance" concerns a twenty five million pound Goya painting that has been stolen.
In an excellent pre-credits sequence Simon (James McAvoy) narrates the event.
He works at the auction house and is trusted with the painting.
They have drills so that the employees can be ready for any criminal activity and they are told that no piece of art is worth a life.
They must try to salvage the most prized items but they must not risk their own life doing so.
When Simon disobeys this rule he is knocked unconscious for his trouble.
He also gets a couple of souvenirs - a forehead scar and a case of amnesia.
The whereabouts of the nicked painting are now unknown - locked in Simon's head.
It's a great plot.
The opening sequence is shot in such a way that informs us that this movie is going to be fun.
It is vintage Danny Boyle stuff.
You only need to look at the opening of "Trainspotting" or parts of "The Beach" to see that this is the same director.
The editing- frenetic at times but never too much is super slick as is the case with all og Boyle's films.
He has a great eye for framing too and knows when to tilt or pan to hide or reveal detail from us.
There are frequent drawn out shots of McAvoy staring blankly out of the screen at the audience that draw you in to the action and make you feel as if you are being spoken to individually.
After the heist the film pulls one of what will be a series of prediction defying turns.
It never goes quite where you think it will.
Head of the art theft gang Franck (A super-cool Vincent Cassel) tortures Simon to try to get the whereabouts of the stolen painting out of him but we also learn that Simon was in on the theft.
So why did he deviate from the plan and screw the theft up?
Now Franck realises that more subtle techniques must be employed to get the information.
So Simon goes to a hypnotherapist named Elizabeth Lamb (Rosario Dawson) complete with a wire on his chest and a false story about wanting to find some lost keys.
And now my job gets harder because I wouldn't dream of revealing any more of the plot.
It twists and turns and defies our expectations for all of its ninety minute duration.
This is the sort of film best enjoyed with less knowledge going in.
What I can say is that this a finely crafted, beautifully shot movie with a perfect, perfect cast.
Rosario Dawson has never been better and is as much the lead actor as McAvoy or Cassell.
There's a good reason that the poster features all three prominently.
Each is as much a part of the labyrinthine plot as any of the others.
It's a joy to watch play out too.
Special mention to a blinding soundtrack too.
Boyle knows how to use music - he has shown it many times not the least of which was his stellar use of Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, Underworld, Leftfield and Blondie in "Trainspotting".
Here he punctuates almost every second with electronic music.
Everything from a single beating drum to densely layered swirls of digital melody rising to a fever pitch until you fear that a speaker is going to blow.
Combined with the trippy cinematography courtesy of Oscar winner (for Boyle's "Slumdog") cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle.
His work in the excellent "Dredd" prepared him well for "Trance".
There is much of "Dredd's" oversaturated colour pallette and off centre framing here.
"Trance" finds more common ground with "Dredd" in it's violence.
While nowhere near as unrelenting as Pete Travis's brilliant sci-fi / action flick "Trance" is not shy about showing some gruesome stuff when it wants to.
A couple of scenes had the audience squirming and one in particular made every man watching wince in unison.
In all honesty it is hard to pick a favourite amongst the trio that head the cast.
At various points I chose each.
Cassel brings the cool, McAvoy handles the manic and Dawson is the gutsy centrepoint that the entire thing hangs on.
Her performance will be noted for the nudity no doubt but it is entirely, vitally at the service of the plot.
"Trance" announces its intentions to twist the plot early enough that I found myself trying to second guess it constantly.
And this is a lot of the secret to its success - it fools you into looking the wrong way frequently and leaves you smiling at how easily you were duped when it shows you what you missed (or does it?)
This is riveting, truly original stuff.
It is not going to be for all tastes and it is a testament to the film - and perhaps even a detriment to its box office potential- that it is probably only really fully appreciated on a second viewing.
I am looking forward to doing so to try to pick up on the no doubt abundance of clues dropped along the way.
This is a superb thriller and wholly original.
"Trance" screws with your mind in a way that induces not headaches but a satisfying giddiness.
It manages to provide a conclusion that satisfies even as you realise that there was more going on than you thought and maybe there's another layer that you hadn't considered.
My advice is plan to see this with someone prepared to go and get pie and coffee with you afterwards so that you can discuss what you just saw.
Excellent.
I like that Danny Boyle has been both things.
With his debut feature "Shallow Grave" he produced the sort of lean, mean thrill show that in many ways "Trance"- his follow up to the multi Oscar winning "Slumdog Millionaire" and critically acclaimed "127 Hours" is.
There are similarities - the small cast lead by a Scotsman, some pretty startling violence, few locations and twists galore.
Many people are going to compare "Trance" to "Inception" and this is at once appropriate and inappropriate.
Both films concern the extraction of memories and the manipulation of the mind.
Both have plots that are open to interpretation and I'm sure lots of debate.
But in many ways these are as different as tea and coffee.
Both hot beverages made with plant extracts but not really the same things.
"Trance" concerns a twenty five million pound Goya painting that has been stolen.
In an excellent pre-credits sequence Simon (James McAvoy) narrates the event.
He works at the auction house and is trusted with the painting.
They have drills so that the employees can be ready for any criminal activity and they are told that no piece of art is worth a life.
They must try to salvage the most prized items but they must not risk their own life doing so.
When Simon disobeys this rule he is knocked unconscious for his trouble.
 |
| James McAvoy |
The whereabouts of the nicked painting are now unknown - locked in Simon's head.
It's a great plot.
The opening sequence is shot in such a way that informs us that this movie is going to be fun.
It is vintage Danny Boyle stuff.
You only need to look at the opening of "Trainspotting" or parts of "The Beach" to see that this is the same director.
The editing- frenetic at times but never too much is super slick as is the case with all og Boyle's films.
He has a great eye for framing too and knows when to tilt or pan to hide or reveal detail from us.
There are frequent drawn out shots of McAvoy staring blankly out of the screen at the audience that draw you in to the action and make you feel as if you are being spoken to individually.
After the heist the film pulls one of what will be a series of prediction defying turns.
It never goes quite where you think it will.
Head of the art theft gang Franck (A super-cool Vincent Cassel) tortures Simon to try to get the whereabouts of the stolen painting out of him but we also learn that Simon was in on the theft.
So why did he deviate from the plan and screw the theft up?
Now Franck realises that more subtle techniques must be employed to get the information.
So Simon goes to a hypnotherapist named Elizabeth Lamb (Rosario Dawson) complete with a wire on his chest and a false story about wanting to find some lost keys.
And now my job gets harder because I wouldn't dream of revealing any more of the plot.
It twists and turns and defies our expectations for all of its ninety minute duration.
This is the sort of film best enjoyed with less knowledge going in.
What I can say is that this a finely crafted, beautifully shot movie with a perfect, perfect cast.
Rosario Dawson has never been better and is as much the lead actor as McAvoy or Cassell.
There's a good reason that the poster features all three prominently.
Each is as much a part of the labyrinthine plot as any of the others.
It's a joy to watch play out too.
 |
| Rosario Dawson - never better |
Boyle knows how to use music - he has shown it many times not the least of which was his stellar use of Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, Underworld, Leftfield and Blondie in "Trainspotting".
Here he punctuates almost every second with electronic music.
Everything from a single beating drum to densely layered swirls of digital melody rising to a fever pitch until you fear that a speaker is going to blow.
Combined with the trippy cinematography courtesy of Oscar winner (for Boyle's "Slumdog") cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle.
His work in the excellent "Dredd" prepared him well for "Trance".
There is much of "Dredd's" oversaturated colour pallette and off centre framing here.
"Trance" finds more common ground with "Dredd" in it's violence.
While nowhere near as unrelenting as Pete Travis's brilliant sci-fi / action flick "Trance" is not shy about showing some gruesome stuff when it wants to.
A couple of scenes had the audience squirming and one in particular made every man watching wince in unison.
In all honesty it is hard to pick a favourite amongst the trio that head the cast.
At various points I chose each.
Cassel brings the cool, McAvoy handles the manic and Dawson is the gutsy centrepoint that the entire thing hangs on.
Her performance will be noted for the nudity no doubt but it is entirely, vitally at the service of the plot.
 |
| Vincent Cassel |
And this is a lot of the secret to its success - it fools you into looking the wrong way frequently and leaves you smiling at how easily you were duped when it shows you what you missed (or does it?)
This is riveting, truly original stuff.
It is not going to be for all tastes and it is a testament to the film - and perhaps even a detriment to its box office potential- that it is probably only really fully appreciated on a second viewing.
I am looking forward to doing so to try to pick up on the no doubt abundance of clues dropped along the way.
This is a superb thriller and wholly original.
"Trance" screws with your mind in a way that induces not headaches but a satisfying giddiness.
It manages to provide a conclusion that satisfies even as you realise that there was more going on than you thought and maybe there's another layer that you hadn't considered.
My advice is plan to see this with someone prepared to go and get pie and coffee with you afterwards so that you can discuss what you just saw.
Excellent.
| Rated | R16 Violence, profanity and sex scenes |
| Running Time: | 101 minutes (1hr, 35mins without end credits) |
| Starring: |
| James McAvoy | --- Simon |
| Rosario Dawson | --- Elizabeth |
| Vincent Cassel | --- Franck |
| Danny Sapani | --- Nate |
| Matt Cross | --- Dominic |
| Wahab Sheikh | --- Riz |
| Mark Poltimore | --- Francis Lemaitre |
| Tuppence Middleton | --- Young Woman in red car |
| Simon Kunz | --- Surgeon |
| Micheal Schaeffer | --- Security Guard |
| Tony Jayawardena | --- Security Guard |
No comments:
Post a Comment