Every now and again a movie comes along that leaves you mesmerised. So mesmerised in fact, that you’ll be hanging on every single frame that appears on screen.And that latest movie from Danny Boyle, Trance, is just the movie to all of the above and much more.
Without delving into spoiler land, Trance follows the tale of an art auctioneer (James McEvoy) who gets mixed up with a bunch of criminals, which enlist a hypnotist (Rosario Dawson) to help recover a lost painting that McEvoy’s character can’t remember where he last left it. To go into any more detail here will have the spoiler police hurtling through my back door, but this brief plot synopsis is only the tip of the ice berg. There is alot going on in Trance, and while the idea is straight forward, the journey Danny Boyle takes his audience on is nothing short of jaw dropping and uniquely hypnotic. Be warned though, you’ll certainly have to have your brain in gear, as it does demand your full attention. And while it’s a tiny bit predictable in one or two places, you’ll never realise how you got to those moments! It’s a unique experience.
The transformation of Simon from beginning to end is handled superbly by James McEvoy. The Scottish actor is not only incredibly likeable and watchable, but has an astounding screen presence and exhibits genuine moments of brilliance in places. His on screen counterparts are equally impressive, as Vincent Cassel plays the mob boss character with ease and is utterly convincing. But the real show stealer is Rosario Dawson. Regardless of her incredibly sensuous nudity (and holy shit, is she beautiful), she is perfectly cast as the hypnotherapist. From her voice, to her look, to the little subtitles, this is an incredibly impressive Dawson who seems to have put everything into this role and it shows. This is a career best for the actress.
The real showcase here though is Danny Boyle. The director has pulled off an amazing feat with Trance. It’s a simple tale, but weaves a complicated plot rather brilliantly. It envelops around it’s audience gradually, and slowly you find yourself, like Simon, going under. By the time Boyle is finished with you, you won’t know what was real or what was induced. It really is masterful and intelligent film making.
This is certainly one of the movies of the year. Miss this at your peril. Trance is outstanding!
