Pitchforks: 2/5
Rated: R
Released: April 12, 2013
Mind manipulation can be a fascinating venture, but British flick “Trance” fails to execute it in the proper manner.
The audience is introduced to a short history of painting thefts. A scene shot in black and white features thieves blatantly breaking into an art auction, knocking out guards, snatching the artwork and hightailing it.
In the present, Simon (James McAvoy) is responsible for leading a group of thieves to steal “Witches in the Air” by Francisco Goya. His ulterior motive rests behind a handsome sum of money needed to pay off debt accumulated because of a gambling addiction.
The boss of the thieves, Franck (Vincent Cassel), demands the painting after Simon and the gang retrieve it. Instead of obediently handing over “Witches in the Air,” Simon keeps the painting to himself and attempts to incapacitate Franck. His risky moves prove to be foolish as Franck retaliates by shooting Simon.
Upon an immediate visit to the hospital, the doctors conclude Simon’s injury caused amnesia. Memories of the heist and the location of the painting have been erased. Simon’s luck decreases even further when he finds that his home has been torn apart.
Simon’s fellow criminals are enraged that Simon cannot recall the location of the highly desirable and valuable piece of art.
After a quick online search of local hypnotists, Simon is forced to see Elizabeth Lamb (Rosario Dawson) and adopts the alias "David." To gain information about from the hypnosis appointment, the cronies attach a small device to Simon that enables them to listen to the conversations.
Lamb’s sultry voice and form-fitting clothes terribly clash with the modesty and simplicity of her office, but Dawson definitely nails the role.
Lamb’s goal is to help Simon recover his memories of the painting. Simon lamely tells her that he is distraught because he cannot find his keys.
Suddenly another wrench is thrown into the already muddled situation when Lamb deduces that the request to find the keys is actually a cover-up. She reveals that she knows that he is the Simon behind the recent art heist and that the cronies are listening.
It is a bit unclear what is Lamb’s true role in the film. Over the course of time, she implants false memories in Simon to make him fall in love with her. In turn, she creates a rift between Simon and Franck. Both men try to develop affairs with her.
However, “Trance” suffers from implications that confuse and horrify viewers. The overall premise of the film is painfully vague and strange. Besides Rosario Dawson, the acting shows that the cast was poorly chosen.
To make matters worse, a couple scenes expose the audience to gruesome and disturbing images. For instance, one of the scenes displays a human head blown off with only half of it intact. It does not look realistic at all, but the shock and disgust caused by the image certainly isn’t fictitious.
It’s a shame that director Danny Boyle of “Slumdog Millionaire” and “127 Hours” tries to mesh humor, adrenaline rushes and gory violence because it ends up being simply bizarre.
Reach the reporter at lrogoff@asu.edu
