Plot: What’s it about?
Many movies these days are alike, this we know. Movies, however, are meant to express what is real and at the same time what is not…that’s the beauty of a movie, seeing things that aren’t possible to see or do in the real world. As we embrace the 21st Century, and as technology becomes more and more “futuristic”, the way we view movies becomes a constant, yet interesting adventure. This brings us to “The Cell”. The Cell is one of the more visually interesting movies to come along. While movies like “Pitch Black” use a different palette, The Cell does as well, but both will leave a lasting impression long after you’ve seen the movie. The sheer color scheme alone is enough to overwhelm the senses; combined with the subject matter of the film and you’ve got a very interesting combination. We all know Jennifer Lopez from Stephen Soderbergh’s “Out of Sight” and various other movies, so this was her chance to really “lead” a movie. Paired with another brilliant actor, Vincent D’Onofrio, Lopez manages to hold her own against the other two actors.
The Cell is certainly not an original story, that’s for sure. Once you get past the visuals, you learn that it’s yet another serial killer movie, but one cannot help but be pulled into The Cell’s grasp. Catherine (Jennifer Lopez) plays a psychologist (psychotherapist) who does her work in a much different way. Looking like something out of “Coma” and wearing a grooved, bright red bodysuit, she is able to enter the mind of a subject and interact with them on a subconscious level. Certainly a very original concept, and one that’s probably becoming less and less associated with “Science Fiction” than we’d like to think. Anyhow, the story centers around Carl Stargher (Vincent D’Onofrio). Carl is the serial killer who has killed several women in the past and now his victims are getting closer and closer together. Showing glimpses of his very troubled childhood, we can see how or what drove Carl to become this way, but we certainly can’t condone it. Carl not only kills them, but in a very ritualistic way. He drowns them after keeping them help hostage in a small room with glass walls. After they die, he bleaches them and suspends himself from the ceiling, hanging only by hooks that he has had “installed” into his own flesh! Carl is not well, mentally. The FBI, and Agent Peter Novak (Vince Vaughn) in particular have almost narrowed down the search for Carl when he collapses into a comatose state…hence he is caught. Though this is only half of the puzzle solved.
Catherine’s experimental therapy is the only hope of finding the latest victim. They hope, by having Catherine enter his subconscious, that they can find the location of the latest victim before yet another woman dies. With Carl’s physical body out of commission, the rest of the movie is like watching a dream. As Carl’s subconscious is very active indeed. I don’t want to give too much away, but rest assured that The Cell is one tripped out movie. I found myself freezing the image a few times just so I could see what was happening in the frame; there is so much going on that while visually pleasing, it can be a bit overwhelming too. It’s clear that Director Tarsem Singh has an eye for grabbing our attention, and I’m one who will be in line to see his next film. While The Cell has a plot similar of an updated version of “Dreamscape” with bits and pieces of “Se7en” and others mixed in, it delivers on almost all levels. The DVD is another top notch effort from New Line and at the very least, rent The Cell to see some of the most beautiful images on DVD.
Video: How does it look?
If you haven’t figured out by now, The Cell is one excellent-looking DVD. While a lot of it features computer-generated imagery, it’s still not to be missed. The 2.35:1 image is superb, stunning…you name it. New Line has long ago set the standard for the way things should look on DVD and this new disc is yet another example of how and why they do some of the best work out there. Edge enhancement is minimal, black levels are right on track, no sign of artifacting, digital compression errors or artifacts. Quite simply put–this is a reference quality picture.
Audio: How does it sound?
While not quite as stunning as the video (and it would have to be pretty impressive if it was), the Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack more than suits the needs for the film. The surrounds on this disc impressed me, as the little discrete effects make the movie come alive. There are points at which the soundtrack is used full force, during a helicopter scene, for example. For the most part, it’s an above average soundtrack, but not quite the example of perfection that the video is. Also included is a Dolby Surround 2.0 mix, but if you’ve got a 5.1 system, there’s no question which version you should listen to. Also included is Howard Shore’s Isolated Score in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround as well. This is yet another nice touch that I really like on discs and New Line is a studio that has delivered on more than one account.
Supplements: What are the extras?
As part of New Line’s Platinum Series, The Cell has more than it’s fair share of goodies to sift through. First off are not one, but two feature-length commentaries. The first is with Director Tarsem Singh who expresses his passion for the movie and, through an accent, tries to justify the use of all his visuals (i.e. My movie may not be that great, so I’ll just make it look cool…), but it’s quite clear that he has put of time and effort into the movie and the impressive visuals are something that has been added to the movie to make it more surreal. The next track features the Production Team which ranges to everyone from the Makeup Supervisor (Michelle Burke) to the Costume Designer (April Napier) to the composer (Howard Shore). I’m a big fan of group commentary tracks, but this one just didn’t really seem to have it. After listening to the first track with Singh, who has the “true vision”, this one seemed a bit dull. Still the addition of as second commentary is always nice and I’m sure that there are those who will learn a lot from this one. Some deleted scenes are shown, with optional commentary, that I feel should have been in the movie. A lot of them show some more insight to the characters, and that’s something the movie needed a bit more of, not just a pretty picture. Still, the optional commentary with Singh is a nice touch and I recommend watching both with and without commentary.
An Original Documentary “Style As Substance” is included as well in which several of Director Tarsem Singh’s reflect on his work and his “gift” for camera placement. Though it measures only 11 minutes, it’s another nice touch to have and it’s clear that Tarsem Singh will be making more movies in the future. A feature called “Visual Effects Vignettes” shows how six scenes were shot and used with special effects. Obviously, the most impressive scenes had special effects and these six were shown how they originated from storyboard to the final scene. Another very interesting feature. Another feature I found most interesting was the Interactive Brain Map and Empathy Test (I’m a psychopath and the FBI has been notified…only kidding) however, don’t take this too literally as I’m sure it doesn’t hold too much water. Also included, of course, is the original theatrical trailer and the International Teaser trailer and some detailed Cast and Crew Biographies. All of this and some DVD-ROM content consisting of a script to screen version of the film (you can watch the film and see the screenplay at the same time), a fully-playable game demo, a link to the original website www.cellmovie.com and another link to New Line’s website. All in all, The Cell may not have been the most original movie, but it has a different sense and feel to it which is always nice. The bonus materials coupled with an outstanding transfer and great sound make this one to own. New Line has done it again.
