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The Cell Movie Review

“Do you believe there is a part of yourself, deep inside your mind, with things you don’t want other people to see?  During a session when I’m inside, I get to see those things.” - Catherine Deane
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The Cell is a sci-fi thriller that was released in the year 2000.  The film stars Jennifer Lopez, Vince Vaughn, and Vincent D’Onofrio, and is directed by Tarsem Singh, or as he’s more commonly known, Tarsem.  When serial killer Carl Stargher (D’Onofrio) is found passed out on the floor when the FBI raid his house, Agent Peter Novak (Vaughn) has a dilemma.  Stargher’s latest victim is trapped in a cell in an unknown location, that at the end of the day will be filled up with water, causing her to drown.  But because Stargher is in a coma, he is unable to tell Novak where the victim is located.  The solution he finds is in the form of a psychotherapist named Catherine Deane (Lopez), who can enter Stargher’s mind using a new technology, to find out where the victim is before it’s too late.
The Cell was universally panned by both critics and audiences alike when it came out.  Roger Ebert was seemingly one of the only ones who loved the movie at the time of its release, saying that he thought it was one of the best films of that year.  I couldn’t agree more with him, I think that this movie is criminally underrated.  Most critics hated this movie because they found it pretentious or thought that the film had more style than substance.  I think that the reason people said that was because they had never really seen a movie like The Cell before.  This movie was so different and strange compared to most other films that were coming out at the time, and it was something that most people just were not ready for.  It was far ahead of its time, and sadly, this caused people to not appreciate the film as much as it should be appreciated.  
The style and art direction in The Cell is unlike anything I have ever seen before.  The visuals are amazing, and the sound design is fantastic for the most part.  Howard Shore’s musical score is haunting, and brought feelings of mysticism, dread, and wonder.  The use of lighting and color is eye-popping, and very pretty to look at.  All of the set pieces are wonderful, and the costumes were all meticulously crafted works of art.  
The acting is really impressive overall; Jennifer Lopez and Vince Vaughn both give realistic performances that are full of emotion.  But the real standout here is Vincent D’Onofrio as depraved serial killer Carl Stargher.  He is fantastic in this film.  A lot is asked of him when it comes to the things he has to do for his role, and he does every one of those things with ease.  Not only does he play Stargher himself, but he also plays most of the versions of himself that reside in his mind, too.  This guy has some real talent, and I think he is a truly underrated actor.
When it comes to problems with this film, I have very few.  I had to get really picky when it came to this movie, because there aren’t any major flaws.  The only thing I noticed that I didn’t totally love was that there was one sound effect that was used when a door was opening, that sounded really fake and cheap.  Other than that, this film has pretty much everything going for it.  I loved The Cell, and would put it in my top ten sci-fi films of all time.  If you like sci-fi films such as The Matrix trilogy, or Inception, or even crime thrillers like The Silence Of The Lambs, I highly suggest giving The Cell a chance.
Rating: R
Grade: A

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