TRANCE FILM REVIEW

Release Date: 27^th March 2013

Age Certificate: 15

Running Time: 101 mins

Director: Danny Boyle

Writers: Joe Ahearne and John Hodge

Stars: James McAvoy, Vincent Cassel and Rosario Dawson

Right off the bat, Danny Boyle is one of my favourite directors and produces some of my favourite films. Although he does not write scripts he certainly chooses the best ones. Trance will leave you thinking after you’ve left the cinema. The main question will be, ‘What the hell have I just seen?’

A fine art auctioneer, James McAvoy, mixed up with a gang joins forces with a hypnotherapist, Rosario Dawson, to recover a lost painting; he can’t remember where he placed. As boundaries between desire, reality and hypnotic suggestion begin to blur the stakes rise faster than anyone could have anticipated. Sounds exciting doesn’t it? Well it is. Trance takes so many twists and turns it’s like a maze and you don’t know where you’re going to end up. 

The thing I love about Danny Boyle is that he isn’t afraid to take on wacky scripts. For example he made Millions into an average story into a great film. His artistic angles and soundtracks all add to the thrill. Danny is charming in his own special way and is difficult to replicate.

As for the acting in Trance it’s great in money respects, Vincent Cassel is always great as the bad guy and James McAvoy is always growing. Good for him. I always fear with Rosario Dawson is type cast, to prove my point let’s list out some films she’s starred in: Sin City, Death Proof and Descent. Perhaps Danny Boyle just wanted to have a good time. If that was his goal he certainly did a good job seeing that the two are now dating!

The film however is not without flaws. The film so heavily relies on tricking the audience that it's actually very easy to get lost and unfortunately lose interest in the film. While I didn't particularly feel this way I can see why others would have. While I've always been fascinated by the idea of an unreliable narrator to tell your story, when you're switching between three perspectives trying to decide which one is reliable it can sometimes take too much focus away from your plot. 

Despite, this Trance is one hell of a watch, just don’t watch it with your grandma, don’t go down that road. Trance has high thrills, ties in all together but keeps you on the edge of your seat all of the way. However, not Danny’s best, but I still love him. Oh and Danny thanks for the Olympic Opening Ceremony it was without a doubt very British. 

7.5/10