The Unfortunate Case of Style Over Substance

Rating: Null/10 (2 April 1999)

The Matrix, often ridiculous and comically "mysterious", began as a good idea and was ruined by poor execution from the development stage onward. Once again we are given a bleak, future world populated by people straight off the cover of Vogue Magazine. Everything is shot in shadow, everyone sports black shades, black leather suits, and $200 haircuts; for those still unconvinced of the audacious attempt to cash in at the Box Office with fashion conscious teens and gen-xers, there is even a Gap commercial "freeze-and-spin" shot. The directors must have felt that they had to make it "cool" in order to cover up the other shortcomings of the film. In my opinion, this is not the way to make a movie. First you provide the backbone - the characters, the story, the dialogue and then you worry about wardrobe and set design. The Matrix just seems bass-ackwards. The dialogue is a combo of rhetorical questions and lengthy explanations which is so bad that I think the film would have actual been twice as good as a silent movie. The directors and writers have all of the subtly of film school students - yes, they did attempt to layer plotlines but instead of true intrigue they aim for confusion instead. Plus you've got Keenu Reeves as Keenu Reeves. The Matrix was a good idea ruined by people who have no business making films.