The Cell - The Inzomniac's Movie Madness Review.

USA 2000. Director: Tarsem Singh
Cast: Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Lopez, Vincent D'Onofrio, Jack Weber

I'm so sorry, but one can't help but wonder when watching a movie like this, how a raving psychopath can build these gigantic high-tech slaughter-rooms without anyone noticing or wondering what the hell he shall use all the crap to. In this case, he has built his stuff, a "drowning-cell", in a deserted factory out in the desert, so there's perhaps not many curious neighbours around. But anyway. At least someone ought to have noticed something strange. This psycho is barely capable of dressing himself in the morning, it seems, let alone building this stuff all by himself. Ah well, nevermind, I guess. It's all fantasy. But unfortunately The Cell is exactly that kind of movie. If one begins to ask such stupid questions, of any kind, the film collapses like a house of cards. A more substantial genre-film, like Silence of the Lambs or Seven even, gets away with it because it has story and character to back up. The Cell, unfortunately, doesn't have that. The plot lacks bottom and, to be totally honest, it doesn't seem to have any point or reason. It doesn't seem to have any story to tell. For a serial-killer movie it's curiously superficial with answers and characters to match. However, if one lay all this aside, it has a lot to offer as a compensation. Because once the conflict is established and the characters presented, it becomes clear that it's not a character study, but rather an exploration of style.

For those curious of the plot, there is a serial killer (D'Onofrio) and there is a dedicated FBI agent (Vaughn) on his track. After being busted the killer falls in coma and FBI goes for the killer's subconscious, literally, in order to make him reveal where he has hidden his last victim whom is assumed to be still alive somewhere. For this they contact psychologist Jennifer Lopez who knows these matters. She goes into the head of the killer and then it gets really weird.

Director Tarsem is part of the new wave of Indian-born wonder-makers in Hollywood, with the likes of Manoj Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense) and Shekhar Kapoor (Elizabeth). Tarsem has previously done only commercials (Miller) and music videos (REM), which is evident from the very first frame to the last. It looks like nothing seen before in a studio picture of this caliber. The actors and just about everything else is only there to link the ballsy visual images together. The twisted mind of the demented killer is turned a playhouse for the director and the cinematographer, staging one impressive series of images after another. I guess someone could spend a long and exhausting time getting something out of the quasi-religious and sexual imagery and symbols, but it's probably not worth it. The Cell is style over any depth whatsoever and it works okey. David Lynch should be envious. God created DVD for movies like this.

On a final note it must be said that easy-on-the-eye superstar Jennifer Lopez is more or less just décor, set-dressing, a part of the visual style, and not a particularly convincing one. But hats off to her for having the balls to make such a daring film as this (she fought for it to be made, it has been around since 1993). Without her name in the credits The Cell could just as well have gone straight to video collecting dust. Which is where it did end up eventually anyway, but that's another story.


	The Cell USA 2000. Director: Tarsem Singh Cast: Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Lopez, Vincent D'Onofrio, Jack Weber I'm so sorry, but one can't help but wonder when watching a movie like this, how a raving psychopath can build these gigantic high-tech slaughter-rooms without anyone noticing or wondering what the hell he shall use all the crap to. In this case, he has built his stuff, a "drowning-cell", in a deserted factory out in the desert, so there's perhaps not many curious neighbours around. But anyway. At least someone ought to have noticed something strange. This psycho is barely capable of dressing himself in the morning, it seems, let alone building this stuff all by himself. Ah well, nevermind, I guess. It's all fantasy. But unfortunately The Cell is exactly that kind of movie. If one begins to ask such stupid questions, of any kind, the film collapses like a house of cards. A more substantial genre-film, like Silence of the Lambs or Seven even, gets away with it because it has story and character to back up. The Cell, unfortunately, doesn't have that. The plot lacks bottom and, to be totally honest, it doesn't seem to have any point or reason. It doesn't seem to have any story to tell. For a serial-killer movie it's curiously superficial with answers and characters to match. However, if one lay all this aside, it has a lot to offer as a compensation. Because once the conflict is established and the characters presented, it becomes clear that it's not a character study, but rather an exploration of style. For those curious of the plot, there is a serial killer (D'Onofrio) and there is a dedicated FBI agent (Vaughn) on his track. After being busted the killer falls in coma and FBI goes for the killer's subconscious, literally, in order to make him reveal where he has hidden his last victim whom is assumed to be still alive somewhere. For this they contact psychologist Jennifer Lopez who knows these matters. She goes into the head of the killer and then it gets really weird. Director Tarsem is part of the new wave of Indian-born wonder-makers in Hollywood, with the likes of Manoj Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense) and Shekhar Kapoor (Elizabeth). Tarsem has previously done only commercials (Miller) and music videos (REM), which is evident from the very first frame to the last. It looks like nothing seen before in a studio picture of this caliber. The actors and just about everything else is only there to link the ballsy visual images together. The twisted mind of the demented killer is turned a playhouse for the director and the cinematographer, staging one impressive series of images after another. I guess someone could spend a long and exhausting time getting something out of the quasi-religious and sexual imagery and symbols, but it's probably not worth it. The Cell is style over any depth whatsoever and it works okey. David Lynch should be envious. God created DVD for movies like this. On a final note it must be said that easy-on-the-eye superstar Jennifer Lopez is more or less just décor, set-dressing, a part of the visual style, and not a particularly convincing one. But hats off to her for having the balls to make such a daring film as this (she fought for it to be made, it has been around since 1993). Without her name in the credits The Cell could just as well have gone straight to video collecting dust. Which is where it did end up eventually anyway, but that's another story. © The Inzomniac's Movie Madness Review.