Trance (2013) - Dramatically Weak.

★★☆☆☆

This latest piece of work of the British Oscar winning director Danny Boyle (Best Director, Slumdog Millionaire) looks intriguing and elusive at first, but as it develops, it becomes so predictable and scientifically unconvincing. Said you’d be able to ask anyone to do almost anything by simply hypnotizing him. Well… I don’t buy it. I guess it’d be so much better to make it a sci-fi flick like Christopher Nolan’s ‘Inception’ than a reality-based crime thriller as it may seem but certainly not.

The use of hypnosis and dysfunction of one’s memories in ‘Trance’ is all just a cover, under which is nothing more than a story of revenge. To be honest, that’s quite boring. And there’s violence and obscene that I don’t find necessary either. I nonetheless, gotta give it to Danny in the light of his ingenious editing skills and choice of music. ‘Trance’ is technically impressive but dramatically weak. So maybe it’s just me, as I prefer a good, witty story to anything else in films.

Sometimes I wonder if hypnosis really works. You know, would you fall into a trance and lock up some of your memories either slowly or suddenly by just sitting or lying down there and listening to someone’s bullshitting in your ear? And even be manipulated to do something against your will as a result? I don’t know. It may work for someone, but not for me. I think I’m too stubborn to be hypnotized. And this is not a film for stubborn people like me.