The Cell is pretty dammed bizarre to be sure, but it is one of the most challenging films I've seen in quite a while. The detective scenes are as smartly done as those in Se7en, and the dream scape inside the killers' mind scenes are as strange and beautiful as a well-directed NIN or Marilyn Manson video. After watching it for the second time (it's that type of movie), I was struck by how seriously it took its subject matter. There really aren't any light moments in it, but I wasn't bothered by its tone, and I wouldn't call it pretentious, I was simply fascinated by its energy and endless imagination. I hope that the unusual visuals and slightly bent storyline doesn't scare audiences away. It's a wonderful film and it deserves to be seen, just try not spend the whole movie trying to decipher its images. The bare bones of the plot is easy to follow, but you can go mad while trying to figure out the significance of certain scenes. Save that for the second viewing.
Jennifer Lopez is a star, and she really shines in this one. She's naturally so stunningly beautiful that when you see her in her idealized self inside the mind, it is quite a sight. She's a hottie, I just wish she'd give up the singing and get back to making movies on a regular basis. It's good to see Vince Vaughn in a good movie again (Psycho still leaving a bad taste in my mouth). This guy has a lot of potential, he just needs to be in the right projects. Vincent D'Onofrio is an interesting actor, and he seems to make a habit of playing very strange and unusual characters. The guy he plays in this one is creepy even by serial killer standards. He's the kind of killer that gives Dahmer and Manson the creeps. I've seen serial killers portrayed better in other films, but Vincent does well. We're so used to seeing Hannibal Lector, insane genius types in films that his turn as a more simple beast is a little different. He's very methodical, but you don't get any real sense of genius in him, which probably makes him more realistic, just not as fun to watch as Spacey in Se7en or Tom Noonan in Manhunter. The big surprise is Tarsem Singh, former commercial and music video director's (I really need to find out which ones) big screen debut. The world of music videos is turning out some of the most interesting directors in film today (David Fincher immediately comes to mind). He's going to have a hard time finding a project after this that lets him be so free to create whole new worlds of unreality to play in, but I eagerly await his next offering. This movie deserves a 10/10 stars just for being so fresh. I wish more movies showed this kind of imagination. G'night!
Jennifer Lopez is a star, and she really shines in this one. She's naturally so stunningly beautiful that when you see her in her idealized self inside the mind, it is quite a sight. She's a hottie, I just wish she'd give up the singing and get back to making movies on a regular basis. It's good to see Vince Vaughn in a good movie again (Psycho still leaving a bad taste in my mouth). This guy has a lot of potential, he just needs to be in the right projects. Vincent D'Onofrio is an interesting actor, and he seems to make a habit of playing very strange and unusual characters. The guy he plays in this one is creepy even by serial killer standards. He's the kind of killer that gives Dahmer and Manson the creeps. I've seen serial killers portrayed better in other films, but Vincent does well. We're so used to seeing Hannibal Lector, insane genius types in films that his turn as a more simple beast is a little different. He's very methodical, but you don't get any real sense of genius in him, which probably makes him more realistic, just not as fun to watch as Spacey in Se7en or Tom Noonan in Manhunter. The big surprise is Tarsem Singh, former commercial and music video director's (I really need to find out which ones) big screen debut. The world of music videos is turning out some of the most interesting directors in film today (David Fincher immediately comes to mind). He's going to have a hard time finding a project after this that lets him be so free to create whole new worlds of unreality to play in, but I eagerly await his next offering. This movie deserves a 10/10 stars just for being so fresh. I wish more movies showed this kind of imagination. G'night!