The movie Trance is for viewers who love mystery, and suspense. Filmed in England with British actors, this film is different from USA made films. The story revolves around the theft of an original Rembrandt painting from an auction. The inside man who actually takes the painting suffers a head injury which leaves him with amnesia. His fellow thieves torture him to learn where he hid the painting, but he does not remember. Finally, they hire a hypnotist to delve into his brain to show the whereabouts. The director cleverly weaves the story in and out of reality. Just when the viewer thinks the protagonist is revealing the hiding place, the scene shifts back to reality inside the hypnotist’s office. The ending finally reveals a surprise no one could have suspected.
A simple detail in this film spoiled it for me. Before I reveal what that was let me explain that Britain has very strict gun possession laws. Basically, no one in England can own a gun. The penalty for possession is ten years in prison. Recently, I read a story about a man in England who defended his home from an intruder with a shotgun he secretly kept. The robber got off, the man with the gun went to jail for ten years. Back to the spoiler, the Trance robbers used a shotgun to pull off the theft. Later in the story a handgun shows up in the home of the mastermind thief. Eventually, several of the gang members die by bullets. I guess the British film industry isn’t very different from Hollywood when it comes to using guns to tell a story. I guess my message is this: even in a country where guns are not controlled but forbidden, people get killed with guns. Bad guys still have guns, and good people kill with their bare hands.
I spite of the spoiling detail, this movie had me riveted to the seat for the duration.
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Filed under: Book Review, family | Tagged: Britain, Cinema of the United Kingdom, England, Hollywood, Hypnosis, Theft, Trance, United States |
Thanks for putting up all these reviews. A few months back I watched a movie after I read yr review. I think it was Cloud Atlas. There is great value in unbiased, unmotivated reviews. Keep it up Grumpa.