Trance (2013)

Utter guff. Got so bored halfway through I cracked open the rum and got a lash on. Barely paid any attention to the second half but don't think I missed much. Seeing Rosario Dawson's chebs doesn't even make up for this pish. Apparently you have to write 10 lines but I'm finding it difficult to write a couple of lines about how bad this was. It doesn't help that I've drank rum, maybe that's why I didn't like it but I doubt it. Don't get me wrong, I like Danny Boyle's films but not this steaming dungheap. Did I say that I drank rum? And some Prosecco to kill the pain. I watched some mosh pits on YouTube afterwards and that cheered me up no end.

This was another great film from Danny Boyle! This is a heist movie, in a non-traditional way. There is a heist, but most of the movie revolves around trying to find out what happened to the painting after the heist. McAvoy, Cassel, and Dawson were all excellent in this. It is an exciting psychological thriller, with visually interesting film making throughout.I enjoyed the many twists and turns throughout this movie. I enjoyed McAvoy's performance in this quite a bit. I haven't seen anything he has been in since Wanted, so I forgot how good he was. He plays a man who works at a high end auction gallery. This is not a straight-forward heist movie, and that makes it that much more entertaining. It is a bit artsy with Danny Boyle's touch, but it is well done. There is some good action sequences, and the way it is shot makes you think about things a bit. I like how it is a bit confusing, then it becomes clearer and clearer as the movie goes on. It is has an excellent ending that was thrilling. Check it out if you are a fan of smart thrillers, or Danny Boyle. 8/10

Danny Boyle is one of the industry's most innovative, versatile and inventive modern directors. He has a solid track-record of great films, but I don't think Trance is one of them. Trance is one of those movies that shouldn't be a movie. When there is so much filler and unnecessary scenes that it may as well be an episode from a TV show or TV movie. My hopes for a solid piece or entertainment were high during the first act, but from then on, the movie takes a sharp turn down a road of mediocrity that really doesn't end anywhere.The first act of the film were charming and witty. We see a cast of familiar and talented faces as James McAvoy's character lays it down for us. It at first reminded me of a Guy Ritchie film, with it's energetic camera movements, witty narration and character introductions familiar to Snatch, but sadly this is not nearly as enjoyable after the first act.The problem with Trance is that the story is so muddled with unnecessary scenes and filler that it almost feels unfinished and very rushed. Like they needed more scenes to fill a feature-length run time but were running out of ideas. The story itself is very linear but is never simple or focused. The movie never follows it's narrative clearly and it leads to some confusion during viewing, which was eventually frustrating because it seemed Trance never really cared about telling a cohesive story, let alone even finish it.One of my biggest issues is the exploitation of themes within the film. Rosario Dawson goes fully nude for the film and the scene in which this occurs was meant to be sexy and enjoyable for the audience. But it just felt super exploitative and unnecessary to the story. It felt like it was shoved in to actually get people to talk about the film but it was just awfully executed and felt awkward to watch. The same goes for the violence. Trance is surprisingly graphic at times but I was having a hard time trying to figure out why. The brutal violence strayed so far away from the original tone of the movie that it as well felt unnecessary and overdone. Trance really doesn't understand it's audience and it led to a generally displeasing viewing experience.The hypnosis sequences are really the only interesting part of the film but by the end they get tiring and overdone. There were way too many of these scenes and it felt as if Boyle was including all these trippy sequences to make up for the awful "love story" occurring in the secondary story arch as the relationships and feelings these characters share are never clear.In total, Trance is a messy, bloated, unfinished skeleton of a film. With some more work and editing done to it, Trance could've been a lot better but as it stands now it is only a fraction of Boyle's real talent behind the camera. Trance is the kind of movie that you want to love because of the cool concept and narrative style, but can never get into because the movie doesn't really seem to care. The choppy and exploitative story is predictable and certainly not viewer-friendly. If you're looking for some mindless and forgettable entertainment then Trance will do you well. Just don't expect to come out happy and satisfied.

The film opens with a light-heart ed look at robbery in the art world. James McAvoy plays an auctioneer, however this is no 'Mickey Blue Eyes'. McAvoy explains that procedures are now in place to prevent quick smash and grabs. One procedure is to stash very expensive pictures in a safe place. Vincent Cassel is a thief who hits McAvoy on the head during a robbery. McAvoy goes to hospital and after this long intro the credits roll.Mcavoy has stashed the picture but cannot remember where. Cassel wants the picture and the humour of the opening of the film is quickly dispelled as Cassel attempts to find out where the picture is. The subject matter of the film becomes heavier now and remains so for the rest of the film. Rosario Dawson is brought in to use hypnotism to find the picture.The action in this film revolves around these three leading- characters, much as a trio were at the center of events in Danny Boyle's first film 'Shallow Grave'. Here though Boyle was determined for the first time to give a strong leading-role to a woman. All three of this trio give strong performances. McAvoy, who was recently in 'Welcome to the Punch', is given more to work with here. There is much more depth to this performance by McAvoy. Cassel and Dawson also have depth to their roles as thief and hypnotist. The writing here has created fully-rounded characters. All three are believable in their roles. The same applies to Danny Sapani in a supporting role.In 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind', Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet erased their memories of each other. This film is the opposite of 'Sunshine' in that here the attempt is to rediscover lost memories. This film is also unlike 'Spotless' in being an adult film with adult themes. There is full-frontal nudity as well as sex and violence.