The Cell (2000)

                              THE CELL
                  A film review by Mark R. Leeper

               Capsule: Yet another serial killer plot,
          but one with some difference.  This one becomes
          a sort of FANTASTIC VOYAGE of the mind crossed
          with NATURAL BORN KILLERS.  A psychologist
          travels within the mind and visions of the
          serial killer (and vice versa) in a race to save
          a victim from a deathtrap.  The film has some
          remarkable visions in an otherwise pedestrian
          plot.  There are lots of intriguing ideas
          floating in this film of psychology made visual.
          Be warned that the visuals and even the dialog
          are a harrowing experience.  Rating: 7 (0 to
          10), +2 (-4 to +4)

THE CELL is one more story of the FBI trying to catch a serial killer and free his captives. But when it seemed that there was not much more that could be done with that tired plot, this film has some refreshing new ideas. It is the premise that some unspecified technological advance allows psychotic and psychologist to enter the other's dreams and walk around in that surreal landscape. Similar ideas have been tried before in films. In SPELLBOUND, Alfred Hitchcock took us through the mind of a neurotic's nightmare in a symbolic surreal world designed by Salvador Dali. The concepts of actually visiting inside another person's mind or dreams were explored in DREAMSCAPE and BRAINSTORM. The latter film even suggested that there was a particular danger being inside a psychotic's mind. NATURAL BORN KILLERS suggests a natural disorder to a psychotic's mind, though it explores that disorder without use of science fictional devices. All these ideas come together in an otherwise simplistic violent serial killer plot.

Catherine Deane (played by Jennifer Lopez) is a psychologist trying to get into the mind of her young patient, Edward. A new device allows her to do it in a much more direct fashion than what we see used today. The invention lets her visualize his mind and dreams and actually become a character inside of them. It is a tremendous leap toward understanding her patient. And the vistas within his mind are strange even if the boy has a rather standard normal mind. Then Deane is given an opportunity to enter a most unusual mind. The FBI has captured a serial killer, Carl Stargher (Vincent D'Onofrio), and has him under sedation. But his most recent target is still alive in a death trap somewhere.

FBI agent Peter Novak (Vince Vaughn) would like Deane to go into Stargher's twisted, violent mind and retrieve a clue as to where he is hiding and torturing his current victim. That said, there is not much more plot to the film. The serial killer plot is abbreviated and for the most part predictable. The real story goes on inside the heads of Deane and Stargher and we see it as fantasy worlds.

The success of THE CELL becomes very much the property of production designer Tom Foden (of cable TV's "The Hunger") and art directors Guy Dyas and Michael Manson. Dyas is debuting as an art director, but he has been a production illustrator on several major films including MEN IN BLACK, MIMIC, ARMAGEDDON, and GALAXY QUEST. The worlds this team created in Stargher's mind are dank and forbidding, twisted, dark and bloody. Religion is an important aspect of both Deane's and Stargher's mindscapes but it has very different roles in each of those worlds. Each uses religion in a different way. There are many other tantalizing ideas floating around. There is a strong hint that two different people seeing the same subconscious world will see it quite differently yet each will find the others actions consistent with the world they see.

First-time film director Tarsem Singh directs a script by first-time writer Mark Protosevich. Singh intentionally mutes the colors of the film to heighten the oppressive effect. So much of the film is taken up with the fantasy world action, the real world story is somewhat shorted. How Stargher was able to build his ornate torture device leaves many unanswered questions. Other writing problems are obvious. The film had a nearly perfect ending very shortly after the action ends. Unfortunately the film keeps going to tie things up more pleasantly and warmly and out of keeping with the cold style of the best of what had preceded it.

The viewing public hardly needed another serial killer film. But if another must be made, at least this is the way to do it. Combine it with something fresh and creative with ideas. I rate THE CELL a 7 on the 0 to 10 scale and a +2 on the -4 to +4 scale.

                                        Mark R. Leeper
                                        mleeper@lucent.com
                                        Copyright 2000 Mark R. Leeper