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All
Things by Carol Lane Patterson
Have you been reloaded? In the inimitable words
of The Matrix Reloaded character Merovingian "ah yes…no time…If we
never take the time, how can we ever have time?" Warner Brothers and the
Wachowski Brothers filmmaking collaboration provided over 8,000 initial prints
worldwide to allow ease in making the time for Reloaded. Re-visiting this
metaphorical world of a machine-induced reality is a welcome reunion for most
viewers. The metallic blues of the Matrix World glitter again, in contrast to
the earth tones of the ‘outside’ and our first glimpses of the legendary
Zion. What was once a cult-ish m Fraught with philosophical conversations amongst
all characters, human and/or beings that are ‘machine-generated programs,’
the screenplay ebbs and flows. Elegantly scripted explanations of the why and
who of the machines’ domination or explanations of mathematical anomalies in
harmonious equations contrasts with sometimes-overlong action sequences. Admittedly, the filmmakers take full advantage of
the camera’s love affair with the human form, earning them the ‘R’ rating.
The screenplay, and the filming itself, allow long, unembarrassed contemplation
of the human body, the consummation of biological attraction and exaltation as a
dance form—which all exist in the same movie with a great deal of elegantly
choreographed violence amid the action. The younger sets throbbing ‘rave’
music finds its place as well in the dance celebration sequence. METAPHYSICAL OVERVIEW The concept of ‘choice’
and ‘reality’ as key, the illusion of control, the aphrodisiac of power, the
beauty of the human form, the wonder of ethnicity and the enduring confusion of
why can be contemplated broadly in the mind-body-spirit framework of all the
worlds’ myths and religions—if one is comfortable enough in these
philosophical constructs to appreciate open exchange on divergent theories, then
one is able to fly with the big boys, and especially the Wachowski Brothers—and
enjoy the view. NOTABLE FILMS Disney’s Holes is a wonderfully
surprising film with empowering roles for young people, where even the obvious
coincidence of divergent families connecting in such a way that one
hundred-fifty-year-old karmic repercussions are resolved tidily is not
bothersome—one doesn’t mind because the viewing is ultimately pleasant.
Young people will enjoy the script, which does not talk down to kids. Thanks to
the Pioneer Theatre in Overton, Nevada, for providing a deadline opportunity to
see this ‘sleeper. |
The Matrix Reloaded
ovie experience is more of a
cultural-ish movie
phenomenon now. In four years, The Matrix has grown a worldwide audience. The
manner in which ethnicity, political structure and gender roles blur in Zion
weaves an enchanting backdrop to the pounding pace of a story raging against
authoritarian control of the spirit of the individual.
Even
with the filmmakers showing off new filming technologies beyond Bullet Time, the
action works in Reloaded. Sweeping vistas of Zion proper, the fleet docks and
the engineering sections achieve the cyber-epic quality, as well. Neo, Morpheus
and Trinity, in searching for the Keymaker, encounter a mesmerizing nasty named
Merovingian, who aptly points out that "Choice is an illusion created by
those with power for those without it." His bleak view is causality as the
ultimate guiding principal "…there is no escape from cause and effect. No
one could stand too many exchanges with the wholly jaded Merovingian…however
much his viewpoints may resonate with one’s own.
Reloaded proves sufficiently complicated to
warrant a second—and more—viewings. A second viewing alone will clarify the
screenplay’s deliberate, metered flow of information as the story moves to a
wholly unexpected set of tiered revelations landing the viewer at what is
already known—the ‘to be concluded’ ending to set the stage for
Revolutions. Keanu Reeves said they "wanted to achieve the
extraordinary." Go see for yourself.
