Review of Trance (2013) by Nate E — 21 Jul 2013

**This review contains spoilers**.

Boyle, known for his technical and sharp editing skills brings out his strengths in Trance, but all he is doing is masking the film's flaws. The movie is trying to be smarter than it is; this is no Inception or Memento. The revelation in the end is not all that surprising nor is it interesting in my opinion.

What bothers me the most (spoilers to follow) is how conveniently everything falls in to place. I mean the heist happens in front of Samaritans and something of substantially large value is stolen, yet there is no sign of authorities/police/investigators in the film. That point alone bothered me to no end. Then there is this dead girl in a car rotting away in a garage which is clearly in use, but no one has smelled her maggot-ridden body...yeah, very nicely written! Also, the film throws in a hint at a developing love story that feels totally contrived (between Cassel & Dawson). They have zero chemistry yet somehow the film wants to go edgy and create a deeper sense of mystery, so we have a forced relationship to witness. Cassel's character is set up a certain way and then they change the tone on his persona by the end; it was strange and I could not buy it.

Trance does have some good moments though; it maintains a curiosity despite its flaws, it's never dull, and Boyle's technical proficiency propels the narrative forward (and back). There is nothing to complain about as far as the acting goes. James McAvoy brings his A-game as he delivers an intense performance which just gets better as his character unravels (His intensity reminds me on Tom Cruise at times). I really liked the character as more is revealed about him as it was completely unexpected.

Overall, though Trance is interesting at times, the mystery was not as enthralling as I wanted, nor was it as clever as the film may have wanted.