The Cell (2000)

2 out of 4

Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Vince Vaughn, Vincent D'Onofrio, Jake Weber, Dylan Baker, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Tara Subkoff, Catherine Sutherland

Director: Tarsem Singh

Time: 107 mins

I like a film that can offer some stunning visuals. After all, film is a visual medium, so anything that can engage the eyes is usually welcome in my book. While gritty, urban, "real" movies can work just as well as a special effects masterpiece, impressive imagery can often make a film more entertaining than it otherwise would be. Take What Dreams May Become (1998), for instance. Its story was so depressing that it would have been hard to sit through if not for the many incredible depictions of Heaven - all soaring clouds, and lush, colourful lands - and Hell - with its dark, foreboding, grimness - that graced nearly every frame. No wonder it won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects that year. The latest film to invite descriptions of "visual" is The Cell, directed by music video maestro Tarsem Singh. It marries the serial killer thriller - populated by the likes of Silence of the Lambs, Seven and The Bone Collector - with some surreal and grotesque imagery that sometimes works and at other times makes little sense. The story is at times fairly gripping, but it's almost as if director Singh went overboard with the visuals and forgot to add the thrills - a major oversight, in my opinion.

Carl Stargher (Vincent D'Onofrio) is a schizophrenic serial killer who locks his female victims in an escape-proof glass cell out in the middle of nowhere. The cell is programmed to perform a slow form of water torture on the inhabitant until she drowns. When Carl lapses into a coma, FBI agents Peter Novak (Vince Vaughn) and Gordon Ramsey (Jake Weber) must discover the whereabouts of his latest victim before it's too late. They engage the services of Catherine Deane (Jennifer Lopez), who, together with Dr Miriam Kent (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) and Henry West (Dylan Baker), have developed a process for entering the mind of another person. Catherine must piece together the fragmented and crazy inner world of Carl's memories and imagination before time runs out and the cell claims another life.

The Cell certainly has an intriguing premise. The opportunity to explore someone else's mind must pique at least some curiosity, if not actually the desire to do so, in most people. The worlds presented in The Cell are sometimes beautiful, and sometimes abhorrent, but always striking. In contrast, the normal, "real world" scenes are fairly drab and uninspired in comparison. There is an uneasy balance between the fantasy and real worlds that doesn't quite work. Perhaps Singh lost interest when he had to shoot real world scenes. Pity.

The thriller element falls pretty flat, as well. The suspense about finding the location of the remaining victim should be a major pulse-pumper, but doesn't rise to any great heights. The only interesting part of the film (aside from the visuals) is the story behind Carl Stargher. What turned him into a sadistic individual? Why does he feel the need to kill? The exploration of these aspects are welcome, but are often intruded upon by the need for the next set of startling images. And therein lies the problem with The Cell - it knows it is a movie with visuals, but they overtake the story at certain points.

Jennifer Lopez was sexy and tough in Out of Sight, but here she's almost a liability. While still looking good in several different costumes during the dream sequences, her character is too bland to connect with the audience. As it stands, it seems like she was only employed for her looks. Vince Vaughn fares better with his driven FBI agent. Haunted by a past failure, his passion for hunting down criminals even has him entering the mind of Stargher. D'Onofrio has shown versatility with his roles in the past (including the memorable, cockroach-infested farmer in Men in Black), and he continues his fine form here. While obviously a repulsive character, the more we learn about his past, the more sympathy we have for him.

The Cell could have been a much better film. The nice visuals grab your attention, but tend to overshadow the story. They turn the movie into a coffee table book - plenty of style, but little substance. Steer clear if you yawn at artsy images.

(c) Joe Wong (18 November 2000)