Wouldn’t the world be a nicer place if Lopez just stuck to acting instead of inflicting another piece of sub-Gloria Estefan detritus on us? Remember 'Out Of Sight'? Bloody marvellous, I thought. Then came ‘If You Had My Love.’ Hmmm… thinks I, hoping this doesn’t set a trend, and the girl sticks to screen and not songs. No such luck. Having lost all respect for the artist formerly known as Jennifer, it was with a heavy heart that I went to see The Cell. And therein lies a tale:
Lopez is a psychologist with a unique therapy: She uses high-tech to enter the minds of patients, into their dreamworlds, and help them repair from the inside out. This technique, it appears, is especially effective with comatose subjects for whom other therapies are useless. When a comatose serial killer (Vincent D’Onofrio,) is brought in, our heroine must discover the location of his last victim before time runs out...
Directed by Tarsem Singh, this is the most visually intense piece of cinema I’ve seen in some time. The dreamscapes take up most of the screen time, and the surreal nature and saturated colours make their mark. Combined with some grisly details (D’Onofrio has circular steel hoops piercing his back so that he can suspend himself from meathooks and feel weightless,) and a number of genuinely scary moments, the overall effect is to disorient and fatigue the viewer. If the plot is a little predictable, the claustrophobia and jaw-dropping visuals more than compensate. The most interesting murder mystery thriller in ages, substance gives way to style, but in a good way. The victims are locked in an underground glass-walled room and filmed as water fills up, drowning them over a period of days, just on eof many ‘Cells’ we encounter. As Lopez’s character enters the mind of the maniac, we discover that it is a ‘cell’ since his body is paralysed and will never recover. Oooooh. Deep. Like one of those annoying IQ tests, there a probably more Cells in there. Post a comment if you find any.
That said, The Cell can feel like an overlong music video at points. Given Singh’s background in this field, that’s hardly surprising. Indeed, he’s chosen the perfect story for his style; production design is lavish and Lopez gets to dress in amazing and inventive frocks (even if one outfit makes her look like Queen Amidalla From Hell.) He’s given free reign inside people’s heads, which makes for compelling action and nasty surprises. Don’t relax. Ever. There's always another little boy with sharp teeth around the corner...
Stylish and scary, claustrophobic and dirty, this makes little attempt to be anything more than a vehicle for Lopez. The serial killing’s the best since Se7en, and I’ll reiterate my claim to being Vincent D’Onofrio’s number one fan. Singh needs to back away from the MTV visuals, and what he has to say about the nature of mental illness is a tad iffy, but it’ll be interesting to see what his next feature effort is like. As for Lopez: Please, just stick to acting. You name’s not Jlo, and you are not a badass gangsta chick. Put some clothes on.
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Production Year: 2004 - Horror - Director: Zack Snyder - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Jake Weber, Mekhi Phifer
Saw the movie on DVD. Love your final comments...hee! hee! I thought the movie was sickening. Well done, but one of those that give you the willies so badly you can't look strangers in the eyes for months. Masterful op.
eca99ajm 10.07.2001 20:18
One of those films I never got around to seeing... Might have to give it a look! Thanks! Anna
Schizoid serial killer Carl Stargher (Vincent D'Onofrio) has been captured at last, but a ... more
neurological seizure has rendered him comatose, and FBI agent Peter Novak (Vince Vaughan) has no way to determine the location of Stargher's latest and still-livi...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Schizoid serial killer Carl Stargher (Vincent D'Onofrio) has been captured at last, but a ... more
neurological seizure has rendered him comatose, and FBI agent Peter Novak (Vince Vaughan) has no way to determine the location of Stargher's latest and still-livi...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Jennifer Lopez takes a terrifying journey into the mind of a killer in this chilling ... more
critically acclaimed psychological thriller. When serial killer Carl Stargher (Vincent D’Onofrio) falls into a coma before his last victim can be found a chi...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Jennifer Lopez ('Out Of Sight', 'Selena') takes a terrifying journey into the mind of a ... more
killer in this chilling, critically acclaimed psychological thriller.When a serial killer Vincent D'Onofrio ('The Thirteenth Floor', 'Men In Black') falls into a co...
Advantages: Surreality, Jennifer Lopez, Truly original film-making. Disadvantages: The subject matter clearly makes some people uncomfortable, and it's quite scary in parts.
VincentM-M 13.11.2001 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of The Cell (DVD)
Advantages: Surreality, Jennifer Lopez, Truly original film-making. Disadvantages: The subject matter clearly makes some people uncomfortable, and it's quite scary in parts.
VincentM-M 13.11.2001 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of The Cell (DVD)
![The Cell [DVD] [2000]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78539574.jpg "The Cell [DVD] [2000]")
Jul 2nd, 2001
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