Life is about choices we make

Rating: 8/10 (16 June 2016)

The Matrix is an action packed, special effects driven master piece that is sure to catch the attention of any futuristic film critic. Several chase scenes utilize cross-cutting techniques to establish action occurring in two different locations. As I watch this film, I am reminded of two films from memory -Enter the Dragon (1973) and Stand by Me (1986). Both films reiterate the theme from Matrix, struggle with choice and the consequences of those actions. Spoiler Alert: Neo, played by Keanu Reeves, is a software writer who struggles to find his place in the world and as a result turns to computer hacking to escape his mundane life. At the party Neo is approached by Trinity, played by Carrie-Anne Moss. Trinity is driven by her love for Neo and her unwavering loyalty to Morpheus (Lawrence Fishburn). Imaginative Mise-en-scene is created during the first scene between Neo and Morpheus. Morpheus can be considered a profit; he predicts the coming of "the one who will save Zion." Morpheus offers Neo a life altering proposition-a choice between taking a red pill (which reveals the truth of the Matrix) or the blue pill (which will doom him to the old life which Neo struggles to escape from). Neo's adversaries are a group of three steely faced agents simply known as "The Smiths." The Smiths are agent programs who keep order within the Matrix by dispatching their own form of law and order. Throughout the film as Neo, Morpheus, and Trinity battle the Smiths, Neo subconsciously begins to believe in himself and the power he holds inside. By the final show-down, Neo has miraculously developed a skill to stop bullets. In each situation he discovers that the path he wants has been laid in front of his feet like a red carpet. The only thing stopping him from taking advantage of the gifts bestowed upon him, is his own reluctance to "go for it."