If Danny Boyle’s directing career was a novel and each chapter represented a different film from his career, I think most would agree that there was a different author for each chapter. Boyle doesn’t stick to just a couple of genres. He’s not afraid to jump into unfamiliar territory and give his audience something they’ve never seen from him before. Despite some failures and some enormous successes, he doesn’t compromise or stop taking risks to create something completely new and Trance is no exception.
A seemingly meek art dealer becomes involved in a daring art heist of a priceless painting. Everything goes according to plan until he double crosses his partners in an attempt to keep the artwork for himself but ends up in the hospital suffering from amnesia with no idea of where he hid the art. In a last ditch effort to recover their spoils, his betrayed partners force him to visit a hypnotherapist to recover his memories. But what they uncover has far greater implications.
Trance is a more intimate Danny Boyle film than what many of us have become accustomed to. It’s smaller in scope than any film he’s made since the late 90s with the exception of 2004’s Millions. First off, it’s nice to see him shooting again in the UK again instead of being in space, India, or in the desert. There’s something comforting about him shooting in England. He brings it to life like few directors can.
Casting James McAvoy and Vincent Cassel as the film’s protagonist and antagonist respectively was also a wise decision. McAvoy is given the chance to show his impressive range in a way that he hasn’t been given yet in his career. He’s able to be shy and scared, sensitive and loving, and brutal and frightening — it’s an impressive roller coaster of emotions. While not given nearly as much to do, Cassel gives a worthy performance as the calculating but charming criminal leader.
Where the casting goes a bit pear shaped is with the female lead played by Rosario Dawson. As the hypnotherapist, her role is integral to the plot but she seems completely out of her element as the cast’s weakest link. The decision to cast an American in a predominately English (and French) cast is a strange one. If Dawson had the international appeal of Angelina Jolie, Julia Roberts, or Scarlett Johansson I could understand taking the risk, but Dawson isn’t that big of name nor does she command the kind of presence necessary to make her role work. She’s grossly miscast and even though she’s beautiful and is willing to show what many top tier actresses wouldn’t, that doesn’t make up for her stilted performance.
Trance aims to be a taut psychological caper but it doesn’t completely succeed. Instead it feels a lot more like ‘Artception’ where the line between reality and consciousness becomes increasingly blurred while searching for a painting. The deeper into McAvoy’s subconscious we travel, the more layers of his personality are revealed while the film becomes increasingly manic and preposterous. The ride is exhilarating, exhausting and strangely beautiful all at the same time — but not completely satisfying.
Neither his best nor his worst, Danny Boyle’s Trance has it failings and its triumphs. Visually stimulating with some memorable performances, the film is ultimately undone by the dull performance of its lead actress and some outrageous and unnecessary plot twists. If you’re a Danny Boyle fan you could find Trance just as frustrating as it is enthralling, but kudos to him for continuing to give us something new with every film.
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