Truly brilliant in every way

Rating: 10/10 (6 May 2015)

Firstly the brilliance of this film cannot be justified within a review, every aspect is fantastic and well thought out. I watched this for the first time as a purely action film and I was not disappointed the visuals are spectacular and still are even today 16 years later which is utterly astounding. An example of a film from the same time frame would be The Mummy, with a larger budget and a similar focus placed on visuals it does not come anywhere close to the same standard as The Matrix.
The story is equally fantastic, it is beautifully complex and engrossing. The basis of the story is simple enough that the world is controlled by machines and effectively the world that every one lives in is purely a computer generated fantasy designed to give the illusion of living. There are however layers upon layers to the story which you realise the more you watch it. You are never bored and there is always some aspect that is new each time you watch it. There are also different connotations within the film to various philosophies, beliefs and religions, some easily noticeable such as Neo being a Messiah figure and a saviour to all that follow him (like Jesus). Others are maybe not as obvious but the philosophy of "thinking for one self" is also heavily featured in the film, as is the degree of choice we possess in a modern world, therefore posing the question are we truly free? These factors make the film more and more interesting every time, spotting various little factors you may miss.
Keanu Reeves as the main character Thomas Anderson/Neo may not be the best performance in the film but his portrayal is exactly what the film required and therefore is brilliant. All the other characters are all also fantastic with stand out performances from Laurence Fishburne and Hugo Weaving as Morpheus and Agent Smith. Fishburne conveys his characters beliefs and wisdom with such ease it is almost soothing, as you are also convinced yourself of his beliefs watching it. Hugo Weaving on the other hand manages to produce a sadistic evil character without really using emotions or changing his voice, instead he uses an almost monotonous tone and his emotions are translated through the use of language which Hugo conveys masterfully. The battle internally with his relationship with both machine and human is effectively shown through the characters language and actions. All the actors/actresses produced great performances and it I could i would praise them all, other notable mentions of underrated performances are for Joe Pantoliano and Carrie-Anne Moss as Trinity and Cypher, both totally different but equally convincing in there roles.
Overall from my point of view I don't feel there is a more complete film, The Wachowskis have made a film that transcends across most genres making it a film for everyone. I don't think there ever will be another original film ever that poses so many questions and gets you thinking more than The Matrix. You can almost see yourself as at least one of the characters in the film and have an ability to relate. The most important factor to me however is the fact that it leaves the mystery of whether it is real or not, as you could never technically know. I like the fact is makes you question yourself as to whether this could be possible, obviously some sci-fi films are totally ridiculous and cannot happen but this forever will pose the question.
Simply put, to me this film is the greatest ever made and possibly will be for some time to come.