Last summer, Danny Boyle became the toast of Britain after the Oscar-winning director helped to create the spectacular opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics (complete with Mr Bean, James Bond and a sky-diving Queen!) which led to calls for him to be knighted (a position he eventually turned down). But as well as dedicating time to that event, he has also been working on his newest film, the mind-blowing thriller Trance, which sees him collaborate once again with his Shallow Grave and Trainspotting screenwriter John Hodge. However unlike his award-laden success with Slumdog Millionaire (2008), the Lancastrian has opted to return to making dark-themed films similar to his first two features as he looks to continue his impressive form as Britain’s best modern-day filmmaker….

SYNOPSIS: At a London Art Gallery, dealer Simon (James McAvoy) finds himself having to hide a renowned Goya painting during a gang heist led by Frank (Vincent Cassel) but ends up suffering a blow to the head after being pistol-whipped. Now suffering from amnesia, Simon is interrogated by the gang (who were actually working alongside him) as they discover the painting has gone missing. Realising that Simon can’t recall where it is, Frank decides to send him to hypnotherapist Elizabeth (Rosario Dawson) as she tries to get Simon to remember where the artistic object ended up. But as he tries to recollect about where he put it, Elizabeth and the gang unearth sinister memories that reveal a darker side to Simon which pour out in ferocious fashion.

As with Christopher Nolan’s Memento (2000) and Inception (2010), Trance is one of those films that literally hypnotises you as it becomes clear half-way through that this is no ordinary thriller. The opening ten minutes builds up the tension of what is at stake with regards to the painting as Simon addresses the audience by looking at the camera and guiding us through the situation. But once the blow to the head occurs, everything about the film changes as Boyle turns it into a psychological thriller which unleashes a shocking reality. He and his writers led by Hodge then set out to explore themes of memories, relationships, manipulation and trust  as the character’s motivations change to the point of making us unsure about who to root for. Even the villainous gang show patience with Simon’s treatment despite their determination to claim the painting, something which would never happen if other big-screen thieves like Hans Gruber or The Joker were involved! What we get is a cunning game of chess as Boyle plots every twist and turn through his use of visual flair which is arranged perfectly as the film cross-cuts between flashbacks and the present time through crisp editing. Just like his previous credits, he also continues to stick to a pumping soundtrack which beefs up the tension on screen and becomes calm during the surreal sequences. That has always been a key element of Boyle’s reputation as a filmmaker. Lastly, he allows his trio of underrated actors to battle through the uneasy plot with James McAvoy giving another riveting performance as the amnesic-suffering Simon whose personality changes course when he slowly begins to remember the painting’s whereabouts only to reveal a inner turmoil of shocking consequences. Vincent Cassel brings his menacing presence to the film as the patient gang leader whose initial status as a villain becomes more subtle as the story progresses. Surprisingly though, it is the radiant Rosario Dawson who takes centre stage as the sophisticated and beautiful Elizabeth as her presence becomes a key factor when she delves deeper into Simon’s messed-up mind to the point of even baring all in one scene in order to help him. She certainly leaves an impression on her male audiences!

But for all its style and substance, Boyle does lose focus with the film’s surrealism and the character arcs which makes you think he is trying too hard to be clever when it comes to deceiving his audiences. As is the case, the non-linear plot requires a lot of patience and attention for those who face a battle of understanding what is happening especially when things get rather bizarre. While the use of surrealism worked in the likes of Trainspotting (1996) and 127 Hours (2010), it feels more overdone here particularly when one member of the gang gets dragged into the strange phenomenon through the use of the word ‘strawberry’. The grotesque use of violence can also be off-putting for uncomfortable viewers with one example being a gruesome torture scene where one individual has some of their fingernails cut off. But even when someone like Simon suffers, we know by halfway in the film that he isn’t the hero we thought him to be and this makes us struggle to really invest ourselves in the characters. That will come as a surprise to some as the element of character development has always been one of Boyle’s advantages as a film artist.

VERDICT: Despite its flair and stern performances, the complicated narrative of Trance leaves its audiences completely bamboozled until the very end with a second viewing required to really understand what the heck was going on…