One of the first striking images you see in The Cell is Jennifer Lopez, dressed in an ornate and flowing white gown, traverse a pristine desert on the back of a magnificent stallion. That's just one of the striking visuals used in the film. After the introduction of the major players, the film swings into motion. Lopez is a doctor that is able to enter into minds via a fairly new technology. When she enters the mind of Vincent D'Onofrio's killer, we are plunged into a chaotic, and at times, very disturbing mind. The film plays on three different levels. On one hand, it's a race against time thriller. Lopez and Vince Vaughn have to figure out what's happened with the most recent victim who is locked in a cell that will flood with water within two days. The other part is, it's a journey into the mind of a disturbed person. Inside the killer's mind, we meet his younger self. Through brief glimpses into the past, we see what has transformed an innnocent boy, into a very sadistic and remorseless killer. The third level the film works on is a sci-fi level. The idea of one person going into the mind of another has always been around, but never before has it been executed with such results.
The director Tarsem, who transported R.E.M. into another world with their Losing My Religion video, pulls no punches in this film. There are scenes that will make you squirm, but at the same time, will bring you closer to understanding motivations for D'Onofrio's character. Like The Silence of the Lambs and Seven, The Cell takes a genre that seems to have run it's course, and puts a fresh spin on it. Many who see The Cell may be put off by the grostesqueness of what is presented before them. For those brave viewers who are willing to look where few dare not look, you will not be disappointed.
The director Tarsem, who transported R.E.M. into another world with their Losing My Religion video, pulls no punches in this film. There are scenes that will make you squirm, but at the same time, will bring you closer to understanding motivations for D'Onofrio's character. Like The Silence of the Lambs and Seven, The Cell takes a genre that seems to have run it's course, and puts a fresh spin on it. Many who see The Cell may be put off by the grostesqueness of what is presented before them. For those brave viewers who are willing to look where few dare not look, you will not be disappointed.