Trance

Fresh off his foray in directing the Opening Olympic Ceremonies, Danny Boyle returns to his true medium with his latest film Trance.  

Boyle’s take on the heist genre centers around fine art auctioneer Simon (James McAvoy, Atonement, X-Men First Class) planning to steal the masterpiece “Witches in the Air” only to find himself literally struck with amnesia concerning the location of the painting.  With the mobsters (Vincent Cassel, Eastern Promises, A Dangerous Method) breathing down his neck, he seeks the aid of hypnotist Elizabeth (Rosario Dawson, Rent, Sin City) to cure his amnesia; only to uncover far more horrific secrets buried within his mind.

As stylish as ever, Trance is injected with Boyle’s unique brand of edginess and precision. His kinetically electronic score and vibrantly saturated photography frames a delectably intricate narrative, with sharp twists behind each corner. While some thrillers rely solely on a truth bomb at the end, Trance delicately places pieces of the puzzle throughout the film, slowly allowing uneven perceptions to come into focus. The effect is both unnerving and invigorating.  

The film is perfectly realized through its dynamic cast. McAvoy refreshingly takes a step back from his golden boy persona, delving into a far more detestable and disturbing character, and Cassel is perfect in his blend his thuggish bad guy with a more identifiable everyman. Particularly noteworthy was Dawson’s performance as the good doctor; her performance is both sensual and sinister, carefully maintaining both a provocatively inviting and darkly deceptive demeanor.

Though not as groundbreaking or cleanly executed as his other films, Trance still stands as a respectable entry into Boyle’s canon and is one of the wittier and exhilarating films in theaters right now. We’ll wrap this up before we give away anymore, because once it gets in your head you won’t be able to shake it; it’s absolutely hypnotic.