The Matrix (1999) Reviewed by Eugene Novikov http://www.ultimate-movie.com/matrix.html Member: Online Film Critics Society
**** out of four
Starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss. Rated R.
The Matrix is something that must be seen to be believed; a visionary achievement in filmmaking that delights the eye and the mind alike. It hails from the Brothers Wachowski, the duo who brought us the much-acclaimed 1996 crime caper Bound, and here they achieve a new high in stirring the imagination while they quicken the pulse.
I will go into some plot detail here, so if you have no clue what this movie is about and want to be surprised, skip the next two paragraphs. The story involves a computer programmer named Neo (not accidentally an anagram for "One"). Neo (Keanu Reeves) is singled out by Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) because Morpheus believes that Neo is "The One". In the middle of the 21st Century, humans are celebrating the creation of the first genuine artificial intelligence. But the AI soon gets out of control, conquers humans and finds in them an everlasting energy source, which is something that it cannot live without. So the AI creates "The Matrix," an elaborate computer program which exists in the humans' mind, simulating a fully-functional life, while they sit in incubators and are being harvested for energy.
But there is hope for humanity yet, as there is a savior waiting to be found; a person with the power to manipulate The Matrix at will. That person died not long after The Matrix was created, but his resurrection has been prophesied. Now Morpheus, and his band of "unplugged" rebels believe they have found this savior and they believe that it is Neo who is destined to rescue humanity from slavery.
As layers of this deeply structured, well thought-out story are peeled, we are transfixed with awe; not only because of the technical prowess with which this movie was created, but also due to the fact that The Matrix is wildly far- fetched and yet eerily realistic. The story seems relevant and oddly appropriate. It makes sense because the Wachowski brothers took the time to think it through, but also because it's a cautionary tale that has real impact. It involves subject matter worth cautioning about.
The film's visuals are doubtlessly spectacular, rivaling the best in cinema. When Neo is "unplugged" and we see where he really is, the world created by the Wachowski's is amazing and the images begin to linger in your mind. Stellar cinematography helps as well, as the film from the very beginning sets up an atmosphere that no less than hypnotizes the viewer.
Most of the first half of this 135 minute movie is story, but in the second half the action takes over. Brutal hand-to-hand combat and breathless, heart-stopping shootouts abound and I could not find a false, unnecessary moment. Part of the reason has to be the flawless choreography of the action sequences that more- than-redeems any thinning of plot that may (but doesn't, really) occur in the second half of The Matrix.
Neo is a role crafted precisely for Keanu Reeves. It is a non-demanding one, that requires Reeves to act as little as possible, and to my surprise, Reeves is effective as an action hero; even more so than he was in his superb actioner Speed. Laurence Fishburne is absolutely perfect as Morpheus, engimatic and sympathetic at the same time as he is intimidating.
I don't know when I'll see another sci-fi film as breathtaking or as intelligent as The Matrix. When watching this movie I dared not blink so as not to miss a moment. Everything from the effects to the action sequences to the story is flawless; and the Wachowski brothers' achievement is going directly to my Top Ten list of 1999.
©1999 Eugene Novikov ‰
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