By JACOB MCKEE
Staff Writer
Last weekend, I saw “Trance,” a new science-fiction thriller film directed by Danny Boyle. Boyle has a pretty good track record of good movies in a variety of genres, such as “Trainspotting,” “28 Days Later,” “Slumdog Millionaire” and “127 Hours.” “Trance” is another extremely unique movie to add to his equally unique collection.
The plot has so many twists and turns, is clever and reminds me a lot of “Inception.” Unfortunately, at times, the movie seems almost too complicated. I like to have to think as much as the next guy when I go to see a movie, but sometimes it’s just too much. So if you don’t want your brain to be fried when you watch a movie, then perhaps “Trance” isn’t the one for you.
On the brighter side, most of the performances are stellar. The stand out is obviously Rosario Dawson as the hypnotherapist, Elizabeth. Even when you think you’re supposed to hate her, somehow Dawson’s unquestionable charm keeps you from doing so. It is equal parts frustrating and mesmerizing.
Vincent Cassel as Franck the art thief also stands out, but unfortunately the script itself doesn’t do his character as much justice as it deserves. There are times when you think that perhaps he’s going to get some depth, but then you realize it’s just a tease, and he ends up looking one-dimensional. Cassel’s performance makes up for a lot of that, thankfully.
It is the lead of the movie that falls short. James McAvoy plays the central character, Simon, but throughout the entire movie, I failed to sympathize with his plight This is in part McAvoy’s fault. He doesn’t necessarily try to emphasize his likeable traits throughout the movie, but the script also paints him as a jerk most of the time.
Overall, it’s really hard to get emotionally attached to the plight of any of these characters, but if you like spending an entire movie trying to figure out what the heck is going on, then “Trance” is the film for you. Personally, I liked it okay, but I don’t necessarily think it’s anything special. Bottom line: sometimes it tries too hard, and sometimes it doesn’t try hard enough.
