Reviews (326)

Great Color, Great Costumes....Not much substance
To put it simply..this movie didn't have just a real great plot. At best, it was quite weak. Most of the movie takes place inside of a serial killer's deranged, albeit very colorful mind. Actually, the film reminded me a lot of Silence of the Lambs, except you don't really care about what happens to the characters; and Jennifer Lopez is no Jodie Foster.

Actually in this movie, Ms. Lopez's character acts more like Little Bo Peep, or Goldie Locks. She is just too sugary sweet. You want here to wake up and yell at someone.

As for the visual aspects of the movie; the were awesome! The costumes, the terrific use of color, and all of the sets were spectacular. This will sound gross, but there is one really cool scene where a horse gets sliced like cheese between plates of glass. But, it is alive and you can see its organs moving! Really gross, and doesn't mean much to the film, but really cool, in a sick sort of way.

Overall, I would buy it again....especially for the cheese slicer!

Bizarre and intriguing
The Cell

Score: 69/100

Four stars from Roger Ebert. Ten stars from my friends. 69 stars from me. I'd have to agree with myself. In my opinion, The Cell is not really 10/10 or 4/4 quality. It is indeed a fine film, but to call it a masterpiece or an instant classic is going far, far over the top.

Catherine Deane (Jennifer Lopez) is a psychotherapist who is part of a revolutionary new treatment which allows her mind to literally enter the mind of her patients. Her experience in this method takes an unexpected turn when FBI agent Peter Novak (Vince Vaughn) comes to ask for a desperate favour. They had just tracked down a notorious serial killer, Carl Stargher (Vincent D'Onofrio), whose MO is to abduct women one at a time and place them in a secret area where they are kept for about 40 hours until they are slowly drowned. Unfortunately, the killer has fallen into an irreversible coma which means he cannot confess where he has taken his latest victim before she dies. Now, Catherine Deane must race against time to explore the twisted mind of the killer to get the information she needs, but Stargher's damaged personality poses dangers that threaten to overwhelm her.

There is lots to like about this film. It's haunting images bring the art to life with lots of expression, the make-up and costume design is amazing and the idea of entering the mind of a serial killer is quite original and used with immense style. However, there is a couple of flaws which make The Cell plummet from what could've been a higher rating. Vincent D'Onofrio is strangely muted in his performance, and instead of been intelligent, some of the scenes are just plain strange, with no explanation or excuse to tag them along. But Jennifer Lopez looks and acts amazingly, although not quite up to her sexy standards in Out of Sight. I have to admit the best scenes in the film are the ones inside Carl Stargher's mind. They are occasionally brilliant (the part where Novak is trying to tell Catherine that the mind isn't real is disturbingly amazing) and well-filmed by Tarsem Sighn, director.

I liked the bizarreness of this film because it wasn't typical. All the images were new, and most of the ideas were original and we hadn't seen them put on film before. It's not perfect, and not exactly something you'd watch twice, but this is still an entertaining film for a Tuesday night, one that will stick in your nightmares for a wee while after viewing.

J-Lo In Wonderland...
The dark, bleak inner world of serial killer Carl (Vincent D'Onofrio) Stargher's mind is a bizarre labyrinth of horror and mystery. It also holds the key to finding Carl's latest female victim, before it's too late. Psychologist, Catherine (J-Lo) Deane is part of a team that has the ability to transfer a person into the mind of another. Catherine must enter Carl's head and travel through it's dank halls and passages, in order to help the FBI find the poor girl he's stashed away in a hidden dungeon. You see, Carl puts his victims in a plexiglass tank, drowns them over the course of 40 hours, and bleaches their lifeless bodies. Unfortunately, Carl slipped into a deep, irreversible coma, just as the feds moved in on him. Now, it's up to Catherine to make contact with Carl's inner self and get the information that will save his latest prey. Catherine is both gentle and strong, as she battles the insane beast that has manifest itself in Carl's mind. She befriend's Carl's "inner child", a terrified little boy, constantly on the run and reliving past tortures at the hand of his sadistic father. Can Catherine gain the boy's trust and get him to tell what he knows, or will the beast-man get them first? An excellent psycho / supernatural chiller, THE CELL is a haunting, beautiful creep-fest! Give it a look...

CELL MATES
THE CELL is one of the most visually arresting movies of the recent decade, rich in kaleidoscopic, Dalian imagery, and some beautifully arranged vistas. However, all this technical wizardry can't elevate Jennifer Lopez's wimpy performance. Yes, the woman is beautiful, and she photographs better than any beautiful actress in some time. But, Jennifer seems too inhibited to let her inner beauty outshine the outside. While she smiles and cries effectively, these emotions don't seem to be coming from her. Vincent D'Onofrio, a brilliant actor, gives a typical psychotic performance, but it is mind-numbing all the same; Vince Vaughn seems to be giving his audition for Norman Bates, but in actuality, he's better in this than he was in the remake of PSYCHO. Marie Jean Baptiste, an actress of worthy merit, is lost in the script, with only Jake Weber as Vaughn's periplectic partner, giving a performance of any nuance.
THE CELL is visually delightful, but emotionally void; however, it is a trip while you're with it. Doesn't leave you feeling much afterwards, though.

First rate movie
THE CELL is a really interesting movie that will most likely shock you. Visually, it's one of the most beautiful movies I've seen, the cinematography is breathtaking. Jennifer Lopez plays a child psychologist who can enter the minds of children and help them work through their problems. She enters the mind of a serial killer (played by Vincent D'Onofrio) who has fell into a coma. She has to find information about one of his victims he has been holding in a glass cage that is filled with water every now and then. She only has 48 hours to complete this, and she encounters a truly strange messed up world inside of his head, trying to find the truth. Like I said, it's visually quite stunning and the plot was interesting too, kept me guessing and glued to the screen. Very good movie. ... Read more

Reviews (326)

Great Color, Great Costumes....Not much substance
To put it simply..this movie didn't have just a real great plot. At best, it was quite weak. Most of the movie takes place inside of a serial killer's deranged, albeit very colorful mind. Actually, the film reminded me a lot of Silence of the Lambs, except you don't really care about what happens to the characters; and Jennifer Lopez is no Jodie Foster.

Actually in this movie, Ms. Lopez's character acts more like Little Bo Peep, or Goldie Locks. She is just too sugary sweet. You want here to wake up and yell at someone.

As for the visual aspects of the movie; the were awesome! The costumes, the terrific use of color, and all of the sets were spectacular. This will sound gross, but there is one really cool scene where a horse gets sliced like cheese between plates of glass. But, it is alive and you can see its organs moving! Really gross, and doesn't mean much to the film, but really cool, in a sick sort of way.

Overall, I would buy it again....especially for the cheese slicer!

Bizarre and intriguing
The Cell

Score: 69/100

Four stars from Roger Ebert. Ten stars from my friends. 69 stars from me. I'd have to agree with myself. In my opinion, The Cell is not really 10/10 or 4/4 quality. It is indeed a fine film, but to call it a masterpiece or an instant classic is going far, far over the top.

Catherine Deane (Jennifer Lopez) is a psychotherapist who is part of a revolutionary new treatment which allows her mind to literally enter the mind of her patients. Her experience in this method takes an unexpected turn when FBI agent Peter Novak (Vince Vaughn) comes to ask for a desperate favour. They had just tracked down a notorious serial killer, Carl Stargher (Vincent D'Onofrio), whose MO is to abduct women one at a time and place them in a secret area where they are kept for about 40 hours until they are slowly drowned. Unfortunately, the killer has fallen into an irreversible coma which means he cannot confess where he has taken his latest victim before she dies. Now, Catherine Deane must race against time to explore the twisted mind of the killer to get the information she needs, but Stargher's damaged personality poses dangers that threaten to overwhelm her.

There is lots to like about this film. It's haunting images bring the art to life with lots of expression, the make-up and costume design is amazing and the idea of entering the mind of a serial killer is quite original and used with immense style. However, there is a couple of flaws which make The Cell plummet from what could've been a higher rating. Vincent D'Onofrio is strangely muted in his performance, and instead of been intelligent, some of the scenes are just plain strange, with no explanation or excuse to tag them along. But Jennifer Lopez looks and acts amazingly, although not quite up to her sexy standards in Out of Sight. I have to admit the best scenes in the film are the ones inside Carl Stargher's mind. They are occasionally brilliant (the part where Novak is trying to tell Catherine that the mind isn't real is disturbingly amazing) and well-filmed by Tarsem Sighn, director.

I liked the bizarreness of this film because it wasn't typical. All the images were new, and most of the ideas were original and we hadn't seen them put on film before. It's not perfect, and not exactly something you'd watch twice, but this is still an entertaining film for a Tuesday night, one that will stick in your nightmares for a wee while after viewing.

J-Lo In Wonderland...
The dark, bleak inner world of serial killer Carl (Vincent D'Onofrio) Stargher's mind is a bizarre labyrinth of horror and mystery. It also holds the key to finding Carl's latest female victim, before it's too late. Psychologist, Catherine (J-Lo) Deane is part of a team that has the ability to transfer a person into the mind of another. Catherine must enter Carl's head and travel through it's dank halls and passages, in order to help the FBI find the poor girl he's stashed away in a hidden dungeon. You see, Carl puts his victims in a plexiglass tank, drowns them over the course of 40 hours, and bleaches their lifeless bodies. Unfortunately, Carl slipped into a deep, irreversible coma, just as the feds moved in on him. Now, it's up to Catherine to make contact with Carl's inner self and get the information that will save his latest prey. Catherine is both gentle and strong, as she battles the insane beast that has manifest itself in Carl's mind. She befriend's Carl's "inner child", a terrified little boy, constantly on the run and reliving past tortures at the hand of his sadistic father. Can Catherine gain the boy's trust and get him to tell what he knows, or will the beast-man get them first? An excellent psycho / supernatural chiller, THE CELL is a haunting, beautiful creep-fest! Give it a look...

CELL MATES
THE CELL is one of the most visually arresting movies of the recent decade, rich in kaleidoscopic, Dalian imagery, and some beautifully arranged vistas. However, all this technical wizardry can't elevate Jennifer Lopez's wimpy performance. Yes, the woman is beautiful, and she photographs better than any beautiful actress in some time. But, Jennifer seems too inhibited to let her inner beauty outshine the outside. While she smiles and cries effectively, these emotions don't seem to be coming from her. Vincent D'Onofrio, a brilliant actor, gives a typical psychotic performance, but it is mind-numbing all the same; Vince Vaughn seems to be giving his audition for Norman Bates, but in actuality, he's better in this than he was in the remake of PSYCHO. Marie Jean Baptiste, an actress of worthy merit, is lost in the script, with only Jake Weber as Vaughn's periplectic partner, giving a performance of any nuance.
THE CELL is visually delightful, but emotionally void; however, it is a trip while you're with it. Doesn't leave you feeling much afterwards, though.

First rate movie
THE CELL is a really interesting movie that will most likely shock you. Visually, it's one of the most beautiful movies I've seen, the cinematography is breathtaking. Jennifer Lopez plays a child psychologist who can enter the minds of children and help them work through their problems. She enters the mind of a serial killer (played by Vincent D'Onofrio) who has fell into a coma. She has to find information about one of his victims he has been holding in a glass cage that is filled with water every now and then. She only has 48 hours to complete this, and she encounters a truly strange messed up world inside of his head, trying to find the truth. Like I said, it's visually quite stunning and the plot was interesting too, kept me guessing and glued to the screen. Very good movie. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Dan Anderson blows, good supporting cast. Not enough Gruner
John Kennedy Brascoe (Dan Anderson), former Navy Seal, is betrayed by his partner, Cody (Olivier Gruner), who fingers him as a traitor and thief. Brascoe is given a honorable discharge. His young son however, is struggling from cancer which will cost be very expensive. Brascoe teaming up with an old friend, Sparks (Michael Madsen), attempt to steal money from a billionaire to pay for his sons medical treatment.

I was a bit skeptical, being an Olivier Gruner fan after seeing his last movie, Crackerjack 3, that the movie would once again be a major disappointment. However, the story in this movie is very solid. Dan Anderson, in his first feature-film, gives a honorable attempt but falls short. Luckily, he is backed by Michael Madsen in his part. Olivier Gruner has a small part but still gets to show off what he has, martial arts and army skills. There really aren't very special effects in the movie besides small arms fire and small explosions, so don't be watching for those when you watch the movie.

Overall, the movie is worth seeing. It is by far the best performance of Olivier Gruner as a villain. The story is original and after watching the movie, you don't feel mad about what you just sat through. If you pick-up the DVD version, don't expect anything but the Trailer as an extra. ... Read more

Reviews (326)

Great Color, Great Costumes....Not much substance
To put it simply..this movie didn't have just a real great plot. At best, it was quite weak. Most of the movie takes place inside of a serial killer's deranged, albeit very colorful mind. Actually, the film reminded me a lot of Silence of the Lambs, except you don't really care about what happens to the characters; and Jennifer Lopez is no Jodie Foster.

Actually in this movie, Ms. Lopez's character acts more like Little Bo Peep, or Goldie Locks. She is just too sugary sweet. You want here to wake up and yell at someone.

As for the visual aspects of the movie; the were awesome! The costumes, the terrific use of color, and all of the sets were spectacular. This will sound gross, but there is one really cool scene where a horse gets sliced like cheese between plates of glass. But, it is alive and you can see its organs moving! Really gross, and doesn't mean much to the film, but really cool, in a sick sort of way.

Overall, I would buy it again....especially for the cheese slicer!

Bizarre and intriguing
The Cell

Score: 69/100

Four stars from Roger Ebert. Ten stars from my friends. 69 stars from me. I'd have to agree with myself. In my opinion, The Cell is not really 10/10 or 4/4 quality. It is indeed a fine film, but to call it a masterpiece or an instant classic is going far, far over the top.

Catherine Deane (Jennifer Lopez) is a psychotherapist who is part of a revolutionary new treatment which allows her mind to literally enter the mind of her patients. Her experience in this method takes an unexpected turn when FBI agent Peter Novak (Vince Vaughn) comes to ask for a desperate favour. They had just tracked down a notorious serial killer, Carl Stargher (Vincent D'Onofrio), whose MO is to abduct women one at a time and place them in a secret area where they are kept for about 40 hours until they are slowly drowned. Unfortunately, the killer has fallen into an irreversible coma which means he cannot confess where he has taken his latest victim before she dies. Now, Catherine Deane must race against time to explore the twisted mind of the killer to get the information she needs, but Stargher's damaged personality poses dangers that threaten to overwhelm her.

There is lots to like about this film. It's haunting images bring the art to life with lots of expression, the make-up and costume design is amazing and the idea of entering the mind of a serial killer is quite original and used with immense style. However, there is a couple of flaws which make The Cell plummet from what could've been a higher rating. Vincent D'Onofrio is strangely muted in his performance, and instead of been intelligent, some of the scenes are just plain strange, with no explanation or excuse to tag them along. But Jennifer Lopez looks and acts amazingly, although not quite up to her sexy standards in Out of Sight. I have to admit the best scenes in the film are the ones inside Carl Stargher's mind. They are occasionally brilliant (the part where Novak is trying to tell Catherine that the mind isn't real is disturbingly amazing) and well-filmed by Tarsem Sighn, director.

I liked the bizarreness of this film because it wasn't typical. All the images were new, and most of the ideas were original and we hadn't seen them put on film before. It's not perfect, and not exactly something you'd watch twice, but this is still an entertaining film for a Tuesday night, one that will stick in your nightmares for a wee while after viewing.

J-Lo In Wonderland...
The dark, bleak inner world of serial killer Carl (Vincent D'Onofrio) Stargher's mind is a bizarre labyrinth of horror and mystery. It also holds the key to finding Carl's latest female victim, before it's too late. Psychologist, Catherine (J-Lo) Deane is part of a team that has the ability to transfer a person into the mind of another. Catherine must enter Carl's head and travel through it's dank halls and passages, in order to help the FBI find the poor girl he's stashed away in a hidden dungeon. You see, Carl puts his victims in a plexiglass tank, drowns them over the course of 40 hours, and bleaches their lifeless bodies. Unfortunately, Carl slipped into a deep, irreversible coma, just as the feds moved in on him. Now, it's up to Catherine to make contact with Carl's inner self and get the information that will save his latest prey. Catherine is both gentle and strong, as she battles the insane beast that has manifest itself in Carl's mind. She befriend's Carl's "inner child", a terrified little boy, constantly on the run and reliving past tortures at the hand of his sadistic father. Can Catherine gain the boy's trust and get him to tell what he knows, or will the beast-man get them first? An excellent psycho / supernatural chiller, THE CELL is a haunting, beautiful creep-fest! Give it a look...

CELL MATES
THE CELL is one of the most visually arresting movies of the recent decade, rich in kaleidoscopic, Dalian imagery, and some beautifully arranged vistas. However, all this technical wizardry can't elevate Jennifer Lopez's wimpy performance. Yes, the woman is beautiful, and she photographs better than any beautiful actress in some time. But, Jennifer seems too inhibited to let her inner beauty outshine the outside. While she smiles and cries effectively, these emotions don't seem to be coming from her. Vincent D'Onofrio, a brilliant actor, gives a typical psychotic performance, but it is mind-numbing all the same; Vince Vaughn seems to be giving his audition for Norman Bates, but in actuality, he's better in this than he was in the remake of PSYCHO. Marie Jean Baptiste, an actress of worthy merit, is lost in the script, with only Jake Weber as Vaughn's periplectic partner, giving a performance of any nuance.
THE CELL is visually delightful, but emotionally void; however, it is a trip while you're with it. Doesn't leave you feeling much afterwards, though.

First rate movie
THE CELL is a really interesting movie that will most likely shock you. Visually, it's one of the most beautiful movies I've seen, the cinematography is breathtaking. Jennifer Lopez plays a child psychologist who can enter the minds of children and help them work through their problems. She enters the mind of a serial killer (played by Vincent D'Onofrio) who has fell into a coma. She has to find information about one of his victims he has been holding in a glass cage that is filled with water every now and then. She only has 48 hours to complete this, and she encounters a truly strange messed up world inside of his head, trying to find the truth. Like I said, it's visually quite stunning and the plot was interesting too, kept me guessing and glued to the screen. Very good movie. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Dan Anderson blows, good supporting cast. Not enough Gruner
John Kennedy Brascoe (Dan Anderson), former Navy Seal, is betrayed by his partner, Cody (Olivier Gruner), who fingers him as a traitor and thief. Brascoe is given a honorable discharge. His young son however, is struggling from cancer which will cost be very expensive. Brascoe teaming up with an old friend, Sparks (Michael Madsen), attempt to steal money from a billionaire to pay for his sons medical treatment.

I was a bit skeptical, being an Olivier Gruner fan after seeing his last movie, Crackerjack 3, that the movie would once again be a major disappointment. However, the story in this movie is very solid. Dan Anderson, in his first feature-film, gives a honorable attempt but falls short. Luckily, he is backed by Michael Madsen in his part. Olivier Gruner has a small part but still gets to show off what he has, martial arts and army skills. There really aren't very special effects in the movie besides small arms fire and small explosions, so don't be watching for those when you watch the movie.

Overall, the movie is worth seeing. It is by far the best performance of Olivier Gruner as a villain. The story is original and after watching the movie, you don't feel mad about what you just sat through. If you pick-up the DVD version, don't expect anything but the Trailer as an extra. ... Read more