‘Trance’ is the latest effort by one of my favorite Directors, Danny Boyle. Time and again, Danny is able to push the envelope with incredible film making. Great plot lines enhanced by unique film techniques and intense, offbeat soundtracks all combine to make each of his films a unique artistic event. I can’t say that this was one of his better films, but I must confess I was riveted from start to finish. It's a fun, hip, retro heist movie.
James McAvoy plays Simon, a troubled London art dealer who falls in with a group of criminals led by Franck (played with european evil by Vincent Cassel). Without giving away too much of the plot, Simon becomes involved in an art theft led by Franck’s gang. During the heist, Simon suffers a blow to the head causing him to lose memory of what he did with the painting. When neither torture nor intimidation succeed in affecting Simon’s ability to recall the painting’s location, Franck decides to enlist the aid of a hypnotist to help draw out the memory.
Enter Elizabeth (played by an enchanting Rosario Dawson). Despite Simon’s reticence, Elizabeth discovers he is highly susceptible to being hypnotized and she immediately starts to suspect the depth of Simon’s problems. She becomes involved with the gang in a way that seemed highly improbable at first, but as the story unfolds, you understand how perfectly she fits into the group. Rosario Dawson was the highlight of this film for me. I’ve never been a big fan of her as an artist, but here, not only was her beauty startling, but her ability to keep us guessing on how she fit into the whole scheme of this film was impressive.
The highest compliment I can pay this film is that it is stylish and hip. Danny Boyle never fails to draw the audience into his vision. The film jumps back and forth chronologically and even in between fantasy and reality. Just when one believes they understand what is going on, another twist is thrown in that completely alters the paradigm of the film. The final sequence pulls all the parts together in a fluid if not satisfying way.
Say what you want about the film, Danny Boyle continues to impress with his ability to create unique visions and stories. I will see any film he makes even if I don’t think each one is a masterpiece. They are each a unique creation of art and I continue to be impressed.
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