There’s no denying that “Trance” is stylish — after all, it is directed by Danny Boyle, of “Slumdog Millionaire” and the London Olympics Opening Ceremony fame. Boyle was able to effortlessly wring suspense, drama and intrigue out of a lone performance by James Franco for “127 Hours.” So it’s no shocker that Boyle is able to open his film with an expertly crafted, good-old fashioned heist scene at a Modern art gallery. The robbery is casually narrated by our inside-man and auctioneer, Simon (James McAvoy). He manages to hide the stolen painting before being knocked out by Franck (Vincent Cassel), his high-ranking mob accomplice. This is the first of many double-crosses that drive the film’s winding, often incomprehensible plot. Franck enlists hypnotist Elizabeth (Rosario Dawson) to help them get into Simon’s amnesiac psyche and locate the missing painting.
Unlike “Inception,” which balanced a multi-layered dreamscape with a perfectly functional narrative and emotional thread to drive it, our many excursions into Simon’s head keep us from trusting any of the characters. This stifles any real emotional stakes in the inevitable love triangle that develops. The actors are all up to the task — Dawson in particular stands out as the reluctant psychiatric conspirator — but the script refuses to let its characters grow in a way that feels authentic. There are great moments here, since Boyle is clearly energized by this idiosyncratic return to the crime genre. It’s a shame that all of this technical achievement remains hamstrung by the messy script. It feels as though the director is relying on his trademark style to obscure a narrative that is more confusing than clever.
Our Grade: B
Metacritic: 66%
Rating and Runtime: R, 101 min.
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