Weekly Review -- The Tarsem Singh weekend

The Cell (2000) -- In honor of the Immortals extravaganza, I thought I would step back in time and return to the movie that instantly made me a Tarsem Singh fan -- his first feature, 2000's The Cell. It is one of those rare films that simultaneously fascinate and horrify the viewer with their themes and imagery. Although slightly deficient in the character development department, the film is an innovative and engaging post-millennial fantasy, and I am happy to report that its effects have not aged one bit.

**THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS**

Psychologist Catherine Deane (Jennifer Lopez) has been working with a revolutionary new technology -- she is able to literally enter the mind of a patient. Her methods come in handy for FBI agent Peter Novak (Vince Vaughn), after the serial killer he has been pursuing falls into a coma. The killer, Carl Stargher (Vincent D'Onofrio), has been kidnapping young women, leaving them in an unknown location to drown and videotaping the crimes. His latest victim has less than a day to live, so Peter turns to Catherine for help in gaining Carl's trust and locating the girl. However, things go wrong once Catherine finds herself inside the wrecked mind of a psychopath...

I always go back to the visuals when I tell people about this film. I had never seen anything like it before or since, and was impressed by the colorful, often brutal, boldness on display. Many of the dream-like images were inspired by artists and directors such as H.R. Giger and Mark Romanek, giving the film a sculpted, surrealist feel, and yielding the kind of decor that Hannibal Lecter might approve of. Even the workplace and house interiors seem more like moody exhibitions than living or work quarters; one would be hard-pressed to find sets that are more elegant. Singh loves spaces and loves using his actors as set pieces within the cavernous areas, moving them around like chess figures in his cinematic game. This is particularly apparent in the scenes set in Carl's mind, where the design overwhelms the human figures involved in the best way possible. The film is a wondrous hybrid of Singh's imagination and computer graphics milestones, with each of its sequences revealing a new aesthetic side to the story. It is also a synergy of cultural influences reflected in all of the film's elements, from Tom Foden's eclectic production design, to Tessa Posnansky's darkly delightful set decoration, to Eiko Ishioka and April Napier's rich costume design.

As far as the cast goes, I thought that their performances were overshadowed by the visual spectacle, but they still represent the essence of the human element. Lopez alternates between acting intellectual and waxing analytical as Deane, although she is hard to buy when she veers off into the heart-of-gold territory. Vaughn shows off the most nuances playing Novak, occasionally hinting at a deeper motivation behind his actions and interacting well with Lopez. As the severely disturbed Stargher, D'Onofrio shows off a charismatic spectrum of emotions, going from sadistic to vulnerable to merciless and back again, while Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Dylan Baker offer solid supporting turns as Deane's colleagues.

In regard to Mark Protosevich's screenplay, I did not think that the characters were examined sufficiently within the intriguing context of polar opposites -- life and death, light and dark, innocence and evil. I also wish that a few of the characters' backgrounds had been explored further and put into play during Deane and Novak's search for clues, since there were some past events implied as being key to their present. These additions would have made for a more layered, more engaging narrative.

The Cell is a piece that warrants at least a few viewings, simply to be able to absorb the intricate production details. It plays out like a delicate art installation, framing its proceedings in a work of spellbinding distinction. Tarsem Singh has fused disciplines to create a unique film that entrances, shocks, divides and, primarily, provokes discussion. After all, is that not what art is about?

7/10