An astounding, intelligent & exciting film! My numero uno!

Rating: 10/10 (31 March 2002)

Brimming with mesmerising action sequences, a taut narrative, neat performances and an ambitious plot, The Matrix is a film that has redefined the sci-fi/action genre. It is the kind of film that makes one think and appreciate the sheer genius employed to create it.
The film is the story of a hacker, Neo/Thomas Andersen (Keanu Reeves), who discovers that reality as he & everyone around him knows it is actually an elaborate illusion constructed to keep mankind oblivious of the truth of its existence. The truth is that the real world is controlled by machines. In order to reap the energy resources of the human body, mankind has been fooled into living in a dreamworld, a world which has them so absorbed that they can't wake up from it believing that it is real & in which they can never naturally evolve. Neo like everyone else would have been oblivious to this plan had he not nurtured a gut feeling that there was something wrong with the world & had not a team of rebels led by Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne)acquainted him with the truth. Along with them, Neo embarks on a mission to overthrow 'The Matrix', as the dreamworld is called, to free mankind and in the process challenge his own limitations & doubts with the sheer power of belief.
The Wachowski brothers' canvas of man against machine draws a subtle reference to the irony in the fact that man, the creator of machines, is so dependent on them. In a world that is at the brink of a revolution spawned by the advances made in the field of artificial intelligence, the film offers a harrowing but concrete possibility of men being slave to machines & functions as a plea to re-examine the relationship between men and machines. But the film's content is not restricted to projecting a world under mechanical control. Where the film actually excels is in dismissing the basis of our limitations, doubts and fears by offering a better notion of complete, limitless freedom. The film with the strength of its ingenious and often metaphorical plot tries to bridge the gap between the possible and the impossible, and between thinking and knowing. Throughout the film, the character of the protagonist goes through a rapid transition from a vulnerable man who is coming to terms with the truth of his existence to a confident hero who's finally understood his purpose and in the process himself. The resilence of the human spirit is reflected in Neo's belief, Morpheus's faith and Trinity's (Carrie Ann Moss) love.
The film's other high point of course is the ingenuity employed in action choreography. The Lobby scene and the bullet dodging scene have already attained classic status and I'm yet to see a film that has sequences that could surpass the standards set by The Matrix (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon included). Characters in the film are quite well etched and every actor delivers in a 'I-was-made-for-this-role' fashion. Keanu Reeves is perfect as the believable hero and perhaps turns his best performance since 'Speed'. Laurence Fishburne is excellent as the precise, wise and charming Morpheus. Hugo Weaving as Agent Smith is amazing in portraying villiany in a slow, deliberate & mechanical manner. Carrie Ann Moss does justice to the vulnerable yet dangerous Trinity. The dialogues in the film, especially those of Morpheus, make their presence felt and have a faint but certain rhetoric ring.
All in all The Matrix is everything i could have asked for in a film. And apart from being just a film, it is an exciting experience as well, no matter how many times you watch it. Of all the mindless films that are being dished out today (especially in the sci-fi genre)The Matrix comes across as a refreshing example of a film that has genuine content and vision that goes in tandem with its chic looks. So powerful is its impact that it keeps the head buzzing even hours after you have watched in. If you haven't watched this film, then watch it. I could go on and on about this film which i deem perfect in every manner, and yet i won't be doing justice to it. For as Morpheus says 'Unfortunately no one can be told what The Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself.'
Ten on Ten