Danny Boyle’s hypnotic fever dream of a thriller came and went from theatres far too quickly, but it is destined for cult status. It is up with Trainspotting and Slumdog Millionaire as the director’s best films, a rush of intoxicating entertainment that is also one of the smartest and twistiest noirs in years. It’s also one of those thrillers where you can never be quite sure that what you are seeing is real, which only adds to the fun.
James McAvoy plays Simon, our protagonist (and often unreliable narrator, given how often he is put under hypnosis). He is working with a bunch of thugs (led by Franck, the terrific Vincent Cassel) to rob a Goya painting from the auction house he works at. However, the heist goes awry when Franck strikes Simon in the head and takes off with a package that does not have the painting inside. When Franck and his cronies realize that Simon’s mind holds the key to where the Goya is located, they hire a hypnotherapist, Elizabeth (Rosario Dawson), to unlock the secrets in Simon’s head.
Boyle rekindles with Anthony Dod Mantle’s lush camerawork and Trainspotting scribe John Hodge (who co-wrote with Joe Ahearne). Hodge and Ahearne must have had a blast putting to paper a story that moves through three characters’ perspectives as well as their unreliable subconscious headspace. It is dizzying fun and like any neo-noir, filled with power shifts, plot twists and ulterior motives. If you can keep up with the jolt of electricity that throttles the story forward (and side-ways), you will see one of the best psychological mysteries in recent memory. Go with it, and Trance might just put a spell on you.
Tell us, which films from 2013 did you love but don’t think received enough attention?
