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| Genre: | Thriller |
| Year: | 2000 |
| Rating: | R |
| Length: | 1 Hour 47 Minutes |
| Cast: | Tarsem Singh, Jennifer Lopez, Vince Vaughn, Vincent D'Onofrio |
In this tense sci-fi thriller debut from director Tarsem Singh (R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion" music video), therapist Jennifer Lopez and FBI agent Vince Vaughn must traverse the deranged psyche of serial killer Vincent D'Onofrio. The mission is to find out where D'Onofrio has hidden his latest victim -- who is still living but facing a gruesome death. In this taut race against time, Singh brandishes tantalizing and lavish surrealist imagery to define the killer's mind, recalling influences ranging from Ken Russell's Altered States to the gothic puppet animation of the Brothers Quay. (On the Platinum Series DVD commentary tracks, Singh even singles out Michael Crichton's Coma as an influence!) D'Onofrio provides an eerily demented turn as Karl, a schizophrenic sexual deviant who is a god in his own mind, where, of course, super-therapist Lopez is an unwelcome visitor. The chemistry between Lopez and D'Onofrio is unsettling at its worst and terrifying at its best. In addition to Singh's audio commentaries on the DVD, there is also commentary from members of the production team, plus deleted scenes and an examination of the film's effects and production design. You can enter the dream state of The Cell and question its metaphors, but when the going gets horrific, remember to just tell yourself, "It's not real." Patricia Kim O'Cone
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