Review of Trance (2013) by Derek T — 07 Aug 2013

Trance is an above-average crime caper film that combines elements of The Usual Suspects, Eastern Promises, Memento, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and much of Boyle's earlier work. The hook here is interesting: an art auctioneer loses his memory and is forced to go through hypnotherapy to uncover the painting's hiding place.

It should come as no surprise to fans of Boyle that not everything is as it seems at first glance, and that much of the story is spent unveiling the various ins and outs of the entire escapade. Even though Trance could seem tired - this trope has, after all, been tried before, the movie is entertaining, intriguing, and well-made, and there is a freshness to the way in which Boyle presents the story.

There were a few murky and muddled bits where the progression of plot was not entirely clear, but that can likely be attributed to Boyle's attempts to create a sense of disorientation from Simon's point of view.

It mostly worked - though I would probably need to watch it again to really evaluate its success in this area. Perhaps the most interesting way to evaluate this film is as part of Boyle's work, as it develops ideas seen in previous films about identity, memory, appearance, fate, agency, and appreciation of art.

Trance is an interesting film, though not for everyone, and a must-see for fans of Danny Boyle's work or of James McAvoy.