The Cell (B or 3/4 stars)
A psychotherapist enters the mind of a comatose serial killer with hopes of saving his latest victim in 'The Cell', directed by Tarsem Singh. Catherine Deane (Jennifer Lopez) is the psychotherapist who's part of a new kind of treatment which allows her mind to enter the mind of her troubled patients. After the police capture the serial killer, will she be able to crack his conscience & locate the whereabouts of his latest victim before it's too late? I almost have no words to describe this movie. I was shocked, horrified, jolted, creeped out, & disturbed (lots of 'Ooohh, God' gross reactions). And yet, I oddly liked nearly all of it.
The intent of this new treatment/method is to access the minds of those deeply disturbed individuals who are currently in a catatonic state (our serial killer, Carl (Vincent D'Onofrio), was found by the police in QUITE a state). Carl's method to his madness includes abducting women, & putting them in a secret spot where they're kept for about 40 hours until they are drowned. From there, he bleaches their bodies inside & out. He has killed 7, and victim #8 is still not found. The fact that he is in a coma now means that he can't confess where his latest alive victim is located. But even in catatonic state, he is sadistic & highly dangerous.
A team of 2 scientists, Miriam & Henry (Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Dylan Parker), & 1 therapist (J-Lo), are the only ones who know how to use the mind-hopping equipment properly. After catching Carl, FBI agents Peter & Gordon (Vince Vaughn, Jake Weber) come to Catherine & propose that she enter his mind (where he's having a dream from which he'll likely never waken). It's a dangerous place (his mind), but maybe, just maybe, she can access it, figure out why he does what he does, earn his trust, remedy him, & locate victim #8. But locked in his twisted mind, how can she be sure that even SHE will make it out alive?
America loves its serial killer movies. This one is particularly diabolical as it viscerally enters the nightmarish realm of a murderer's mind. We are given a host of dissonant scenes to savor. The images are intermittently gorgeous & disturbing. Singh integrates wondrous special effects with inventive set designs, startling make-up work, & ravishing costumes (all depicting the ghoulish realm of a killer's state of mind). The editing of these sequences (when Catherine is inside Carl's mind) is frenetic & disorientating, at times. Due to the nature of the plot, this technique is most effective. i.e., Catherine travels through worm-like tunnels of his mind. She meets him as a little boy in the middle of a desert, etc. As fantastic as these images are, what holds the film together is its narrative (believe it or not). This is not some thrown-together, unintelligent Friday the 13th flick. The meat of the film involves exploring & understanding (or trying to) the motivations of a serial killer. This doesn't mean the film is perfect. It's unpleasant (almost to a fault). And there are some dead spots. But it's more compelling than not.
The acting is another strong suit of 'The Cell'. J-Lo is given an opportunity to show her range. She's a tough, hardworking therapist, but she also nails the vulnerable, easily corruptible fantasy figure in Carl's mind. The script forces her to show many sides to Catherine's personality. Vince Vaughn is adequate in his role; no more, no less. And as Carl, Vincent D'Onofrio recalls his diabolical role from Full Metal Jacket back to the big screen. He is effectively chilling; even hard to watch in some instances (traumatizing himself (quite bloodily), finding psychopathic enjoyment in inflicting death-like pain unto others, etc.). What triggered his killing spree? Will Catherine be able to break him? Can she maintain her own identity inside of his demonic world? Or will she be lost in his madness forever?
The intent of this new treatment/method is to access the minds of those deeply disturbed individuals who are currently in a catatonic state (our serial killer, Carl (Vincent D'Onofrio), was found by the police in QUITE a state). Carl's method to his madness includes abducting women, & putting them in a secret spot where they're kept for about 40 hours until they are drowned. From there, he bleaches their bodies inside & out. He has killed 7, and victim #8 is still not found. The fact that he is in a coma now means that he can't confess where his latest alive victim is located. But even in catatonic state, he is sadistic & highly dangerous.
A team of 2 scientists, Miriam & Henry (Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Dylan Parker), & 1 therapist (J-Lo), are the only ones who know how to use the mind-hopping equipment properly. After catching Carl, FBI agents Peter & Gordon (Vince Vaughn, Jake Weber) come to Catherine & propose that she enter his mind (where he's having a dream from which he'll likely never waken). It's a dangerous place (his mind), but maybe, just maybe, she can access it, figure out why he does what he does, earn his trust, remedy him, & locate victim #8. But locked in his twisted mind, how can she be sure that even SHE will make it out alive?
America loves its serial killer movies. This one is particularly diabolical as it viscerally enters the nightmarish realm of a murderer's mind. We are given a host of dissonant scenes to savor. The images are intermittently gorgeous & disturbing. Singh integrates wondrous special effects with inventive set designs, startling make-up work, & ravishing costumes (all depicting the ghoulish realm of a killer's state of mind). The editing of these sequences (when Catherine is inside Carl's mind) is frenetic & disorientating, at times. Due to the nature of the plot, this technique is most effective. i.e., Catherine travels through worm-like tunnels of his mind. She meets him as a little boy in the middle of a desert, etc. As fantastic as these images are, what holds the film together is its narrative (believe it or not). This is not some thrown-together, unintelligent Friday the 13th flick. The meat of the film involves exploring & understanding (or trying to) the motivations of a serial killer. This doesn't mean the film is perfect. It's unpleasant (almost to a fault). And there are some dead spots. But it's more compelling than not.
The acting is another strong suit of 'The Cell'. J-Lo is given an opportunity to show her range. She's a tough, hardworking therapist, but she also nails the vulnerable, easily corruptible fantasy figure in Carl's mind. The script forces her to show many sides to Catherine's personality. Vince Vaughn is adequate in his role; no more, no less. And as Carl, Vincent D'Onofrio recalls his diabolical role from Full Metal Jacket back to the big screen. He is effectively chilling; even hard to watch in some instances (traumatizing himself (quite bloodily), finding psychopathic enjoyment in inflicting death-like pain unto others, etc.). What triggered his killing spree? Will Catherine be able to break him? Can she maintain her own identity inside of his demonic world? Or will she be lost in his madness forever?