Living In A Box

Rating: Null/10 (30 September 1999)

Having already gone down a storm in the United States, this sci-fi thriller finally arrives on British shores. Keanu Reeves plays Thomas Anderson, by day an ordinary program writer, but by night a computer hacker with the alias of "Neo". He comes into contact with legendary female hacker Trinity, who tells him that the search is almost over. But the search for what? Why is Neo being chased by less-than friendly Men In Black? And just what is The Matrix?
Although criticism might seems irrelevant in the face of such a box office steamroller, there is more to be had here than simple special effects. The script evokes memories of Ridley Scott's classic Blade Runner, but the question here is not "What is human?", but "What is real?". The ideas that the screenplay contains, such the attractiveness of the "mink-lined prison" that is The Matrix, enhance a film already attention-grabbing through it's visuals.
And what visuals they are. Innovations in technology allow us to fly around kung-fu fights while time appears to stop, thanks to the creation of bullet-time photography. The direction is also superb, alternating between the depths of a future earth and an anonymous city of the present (in reality, Sydney Australia). The otherworldly feel of the movie is perfectly in tune with the twisted nature of the worlds on display.
Reeves is ideal casting as a man trying to comprehend his existence, and in fact the whole cast is seamlessly chosen. Particular praise must to Hugo Weaving as the sinister Agent Smith. Rarely has a villain been so magnetic on screen. This, combined with the film's best lines delivered in an American-Australian hybrid accent, results in easily the best performance in any film I have seen this year.
There is literally something for everyone in this film: intelligent scripting, outstanding images and note-perfect acting. So what if the ending is at best opaque. What we have here is an instant classic, never setting a foot wrong, and giving us the most unique science fiction film since Blade Runner.
P.S. This review earned me a nomination of Young Film Critic Of The Year. I just thought I'd tell you