Trance

Okay, it's true that this movie is very convoluted and that I wanted to see it mainly because Rosario Dawson is in it and she really shows a lot. A gorgeous woman. "Trans" is cluttered and something could be cut out, but the rules are clearly set and the truth can be anywhere. It's up to you whether you accept the message of the film or not. And I accept it, especially when the actors are this great. Danny Boyle is once again very brave. (2013-10-23)

An overcooked start. There is a voiceover, an unreliable narrator, an attractive plot, and expensive art. After twenty minutes, only a hint of the original idea remains, which surprisingly, even by Danny Boyle's standards, fails to reach a sufficiently high level with its piercing visual and thunderous musical accompaniment. I am all for surprising twists or the denial of clichés through lively passion. However, all of this must not happen at the expense of the viewer's engagement. (2015-12-22)

“What we are is the sum of everything we've ever said, done and felt all wrapped up in one unique thread, which is constantly being revised and remembered. To be yourself, you have to constantly remember yourself.” Trance is a sophisticated game with the audience that doesn’t make much sense (it has put too much on its shoulders), but is unpredictable from start to finish and damn entertaining, mysterious and sexy. Danny Boyle is having fun here with a kaleidoscopically varied perception of events and confused character motivations, and reveals his weakness for Brian De Palma’s fast-paced thrillers. (2014-10-28)

A film that has an embellished but far-fetched plot. It was interesting, the actors were good, we never got sick of them even though there were only a few of them that we kept switching between; still, it somehow just couldn't hold my attention the whole time. The jumping from hypnosis to the real world and back is supposed to be interesting, the viewer is supposed to wonder what’s real and what’s not, yet I didn't see it that way. Instead it gave me a rather tired impression, which I only woke up from towards the end when the shooting started. Even though I wrote that the final payoff was excessive, it still fails to impress with a proper wow effect if the viewer has seen a few similar films. You can see through the smoke effects. But if Boyle wanted the viewer to feel sympathy for a man who gets a bundle at the end, he succeeded. A mediocre film. (2017-02-28)

Boyle is similar to Nolan and Tarantino in that every film is original, yet he still maintains some of his traditional directing finesse. He attacks the audience with opulent minimalist visuals as well as dense psychology. Trance has excellent visual aesthetics, light manipulation, and a contemporary feeling. It captivates with a strong screenplay and the fact that despite the several script spirals and twists towards the end, the film never gets tangled. The plot is clear, well-explained, and makes perfect sense. At the same time, the theme of hypnosis is presented complex enough to fascinate and immerse the viewer, but also concisely enough to not bore someone who doesn't understand it and won’t make any sense to a layman. (2014-01-18)