Brains.Lots of brains.

Rating: Null/10 (2 December 1999)

Keanu Reeves is one of two people,either a model who can remember lines,(despite being unable to speak them convincingly)cast merely for decoration,nothing more than a pretty trained android,interested more in touring with his thrash-band than being a serious actor.OR.One of the finest actors of the decade,merely unfortunate in his continued casting in roles that seem to be himself,thinly veiled,a Woody Allen for the youngsters.The Matrix sees Reeves emerge from the fargo of his last two efforts(Chain Reaction and The Devils Advocate)relatively unscathed,with his lead role in the Wachowskis sophomore effort,this ingenious piece,that is,in its simplest form,an entertaining slice of sci-fi,full of big explosions,big fights,girls(and guys)in leather and revolutionary camera techniques.Probe beneath the surface though,and The Matrix becomes a deeply philosophical film exploring the nature of reality.That the entire world has been constructed to shelter us from the real world,a black,horrific nightmare of an existence(if thats what it can be called)is a high concept,and without the sagely Morpheus alongside to guide us through the confusing first 45 minutes,the plot machinations would surely become too heavy for all but the most astute of filmgoers.Yes,the big explosions(helicopters smashing into skyscrapers)big gun fights and gymnastic fisticuffs are all present and correct,but The Matrix is so much more than that,more than just another shoot-em-up movie.The Wachowskis obviously wanted cool to be of the essence,with virtually the entire cast sporting shades for the whole film(kinda like John Belushi in The Blues Brothers)and with Keanu Reeves on hand to provide the lust aspect(for the ladies)and the not entirely repulsive Carrie-Ann Moss for the guys to ogle,it works very well.The acting is top-notch,but is really inconsequential to the slo-mo karate in Laurence Fishburnes virtual reality dojo,and the climactic shoot out in the hotel lobby.The Matrix is a high concept piece of movie-making,but one that succeeds,in true action style.As Keanu so eloquently puts it:Woah!