Trance is Boyle having the best time he's had in years, playing in
the heist genre sandbox for the first time since Shallow Grave. But to
say that the film fits neatly into that category is doing it a severe injustice
and the seemingly simple premise masks what is a dazzling, mind-bending
thriller. From the very beginning, nothing about Trance is as it seems.
James McAvoy plays Simon, who gives the impression of a regular guy, walking us
through the emergency procedures at the auction house where he's employed. But
Simon is no regular guy, and he's hooked up with a gang led by Franck (Vincent
Cassel) to steal Goya's famous painting "Witches in the Air". What
should have been a simple job gets complicated when Simon and Franck get into a
tussle, with the former taking a severe blow to the head. When all is said and
done, the painting is gone and only Simon knows where it could be. The problem
is that he now suffers from amnesia. Or does he?
Simon's honesty is at question throughout, but then again none of the
characters are to be trusted even in the slightest. This is a film of multiple
swerves and sharp cliffs, where key events are seen from multiple perspectives
and given fresh relevance. Everyone has an angle to play, and standing at the
center of the puzzle box is Elizabeth (Rosario Dawson), a hypnotherapist
handpicked by Franck to extract the painting's whereabouts out of Simon's
brain.
It's tough to say much more without spoiling what is a truly fascinating
head trip. Boyle puts on a master class in misdirection, subtly steering the audience
to expect one thing, before pulling the rug out from under them multiple times.
The art of the movie "twist" has been obscured of late as directors
have begun to rely too heavily on shocks rather than story, but Trance's
three principle characters are so fully-realized that we're willing to go with
them anywhere. Those who could be considered "heroic" initially may
look completely different five minutes later, and those perceptions will switch
multiple times after that. It's to the credit of screenwriter John Hodge that
it never feels forced, nor do the many shocks lose their effectiveness. Edging
into Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind territory, Hodge seamlessly weaves
in a thought-provoking exploration of the human memory's fragility. 
Joined by frequent cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle, the film has Boyle's
signature kinetic, angular look, but is undoubtedly the sexiest thing he's ever
done. He gets a lot of help in the smoldering performances of McAvoy, Dawson,
and Cassel, who all do a terrific job of masking their characters' true
natures. Dawson has always been a captivating actress, but she's never had a
role that required quite this much nuance. Even during an awkward Goya-inspired
sex scene, Dawson is impossible to take your eyes off of.Trance is a hypnotic, spell-binding thriller and one of the best films of Boyle's substantial career. Not only does it demand to be seen, by the time it's over you'll be compelled to come back and see it again.
