FILM REVIEW - The Matrix
By The Masked Medic
One of the great things about being married is that you get to watch a lot of your favourites again, but get to do it with someone who is experiencing these masterpieces for the first time. That’s exactly what happened this week, when, for movie night, my wife and I sat down to watch a sci-fi classic!
‘The Matrix’ tells the story of Thomas Anderson, aka Neo, a young man who has an intense feeling that he is living in a dream. One day, he is contacted by a mysterious woman named Trinity, who tells him that she can introduce him to a man who has the answers that Neo seeks. This man, Morpheus, explains to Neo that not everything is as it seems in the world, and Neo must trust what Morpheus has to say; otherwise, he may be in great danger. Despite the warning, Neo runs into the extremely unsettling Agent Smith, who tells him that this new life he seeks will have consequences. As Neo begins to follow the trail that is laid out for him, he meets more and more people who have interacted with Morpheus and accepted his message. His understanding of the world that he lives in coalesces, and he realizes why he has been recruited especially. Can he live up to the expectations of the people around him? Or will the system cull this renegade before he becomes unstoppable?
Let’s get into the cast because it really is a good one. Playing Morpheus is Laurence Fishburne. I’ve seen him in several roles following this, but his gravitas and tone of voice are unmatched. He makes an excellent but also believable leader of this group of rebels. Carrie-Anne Moss plays Trinity, one of Morpheus’s crew, and I think she does an excellent job. I read some of the other names who were considered, but genuinely, I’m not sure they could’ve pulled it off. What makes it even more impressive is that this was her first proper foray into film. Naturally, we have to acknowledge our lead protagonist. Keanu Reeves plays Neo, and he expresses just the right amount of naivety to be the perfect Neo, in my opinion. I think prior to this film, he was under a certain amount of typecasting as a sort of dorky hipster, but this really cemented his status as an action star. Right. Standout role. I really like the heroes in this film, I think they are likable and you want to root for them, but let’s not get it twisted. The one performance that makes the film is Hugo Weaving as Agent Smith. Everyone about his acting, from the way he walks, to the way he pronounces ‘Mister Anderson’, is captivating, and it’s no surprise that he constantly makes it into the top all-time villains list!
Now imagine that I first watched this film when I was 13 during my religious studies lessons at school. Granted, I didn’t get to watch it all, but a lot of the pertinent parts stuck in my brain. It’s with that insight that I say, for anyone who has faith or the belief in a greater power, the Matrix is one of the most intricately clever films I’ve seen. There are multiple parables to the idea of our existence in this world, which is superficially layered with a sort of punk rock sci-fi design. Those of you who are perceptive enough to have picked up on some pretty cool allusions to mythology and theology would have noted that the man trying to cut people from this dream world is named after the Greek God of Dreams. The third member of the protagonist trio is named Trinity. And if you rearrange the letters of Neo’s name, you get the One, which he is suspected to be. Add to that mix the Oracle who drops some serious bars of thought-provoking wisdom, with some awesome fight scenes, and you have all the ingredients for a great piece of cinema!
Naturally, we have to talk about the cinematography. The Wachowskis (formerly brothers, now sisters) fashion an intricate world for their film. Both the alternate reality and true vision of the world have such different looks, but both feel equally authentic. Although it takes some getting used to, the slight green haze used in some of the scenes helps viewers distinguish which world they are in. The stunt choreography is excellent and is coupled with a pretty badass soundtrack. If you’ve not seen this film yet, then take the red pill, go down the rabbit hole, and see what I think is one of the greatest films of our time!
Rating:
Story: ★★★★
Acting: ★★★½
Cinematography: ★★★★½
Music: ★★★★
Enjoyability: ★★★★½