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“But what if God himself can be simulated, that is to say can be reduced to signs that constitute faith? Then the whole system becomes weightless, it is no longer anything but a gigantic simulacrum - not unreal, but simulacrum, that is to say never exchanged for the real, but exchanged for itself, in an uninterrupted circuit without reference or circumference”
Jean Baudrillard, Simulacra and Simulation
PLOT
"When a beautiful stranger leads computer hacker Neo to a forbidding underworld, he discovers the shocking truth--the life he knows is the elaborate deception of an evil cyber-intelligence" or "Phylosophical Action Movie which marked an era"
SCRIPT
The best thing of the movie and I'm considering also its flaws. Just a few character have an arch, like Neo but it's a bit undermined by the Chosen One trope, which deprives the character of agency. Trinity has one also but Morpheus and the other people of the Resistance don't. The villain has an interesting motivation but it's hard to call him sympathetic. The point is that this movie has a wonderful concept and it's executed extremely well. I want to point out the fact that there's a maniacal attention to details and the symbolism, Jesus Christ has never been this cool, is remarkable. The fact that the Wachowskis have been able to make Baudrillard's theories cool by applying it to an action movie is incredible. This is like a mash-up of Stanley Kubrick and Michael Bay, it's impressive. Hands down one of the est script ever written because it's witty and everything about it is interesting. And it never drags.
Script: 9/10
ACTING
Some actors do a fine job and others a mediocre one. I think that Keanu Reeves, even though he isn't the best of the bunch, is able to bring physicality to hi character and build an icon. Lawrence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss shine as Morpheus and Trinity and their performances improves Reeves's one. The best actor here is definitely Hugo Weaving, who plays with charisma the villain. Only him could've been able to portray Smith and make him likeable. We're talking about the same guy who played Elrond in The Lord of the Rings saga, that's enough to say that he's heavily skilled as an actor.
Acting: 7/10
PHOTOGRAPHY
There aren't incredible landscapes or such here but colours are used in a meaningful way. In the Matrix there's a green filter, to mirror the code, and outside the colours are more natural, with an emphasis of blue. Even the coded simulations are differentiated by reality and ours, by having a yellow filter. I've said that there aren't wonderful natural shots but the computer generated ones are amazing. There's one in the last act which is breathtaking. Overall it's impressive and it easily remains in your mind.
Photography: 9/10
EDITING
It's imaginative and, I could say, groundbreaking. There isn't a scene which is shooted in a trite way, this is why the movie flows smoothly. This is the movie which glorified certain kind of shootings like slow motion. I would've written about the others but there's too much of them and I don't want to bore you, reader. But really, this is a movie's strength. As other sections, this kind of editing influenced the whole industry. This isn't ordinary.
Editing: 8/10
SPECIAL EFFECTS
Considering the time period and the budget, this is simply amazing. This is why the movie is still holding up after years. There's nothing corny or cheesy about that. Yeah, these aren't pitch perfect but their imperfections don't hurt the movie. This movie layed the foundations of what we have today, because is one of the first movie the feature a lot of cgi. And the scene where i's involved are what have been repurposed more than one time by other movies.
Special Effects: 8/10
SOUNDTRACK
It's good but it's good enough to say that it's wonderful. I like how electric music is used here but I don't find it memorable. Yes, thanks to this movie the electric genre became mainstream but it doesn't make the music itself impressive. The point is that this style is present in all the movies of late 90's and early 2000's, it isn't original.
Soundtrack: 6/10
COSTUMES
Even though these are mostly leather made, we can't deny that it influenced cinema as a whole. Without this movie leather jackets won't be as relevant as they're now. The others are ordinary but I want to say that Smith's suit is laso part of our culture. It's weird because basically these aren't special but the movie is able to make them seem cool.
Costumes: 7/10
CONCLUSION
Script: 9/10
Acting: 7/10
Photography: 9/10
Editing: 8/10
Special Effects: 8/10
Soundtrack: 6/10
Costumes: 7/10
AVERAGE: 7,71
A striking movie which has brought new concepts, ideas and filming techiques to the industry. It's certainly one of the most iconic movie ever made and I think that every one should see it once because it's an incredible experience which allows you to question your own reality and certainties. I've said enough just go and watch it. Now.
Director: The Wachowskis
Screenplay: The Wachowskis
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne MossHugo Weaving, Joe Pantoliano
Soundtrack: Don Davis
Cinematography: Bill Pope
Running Time: 136 minutes
Budget: $63 million
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The Matrix defines Y2K sci-fi action. Its special effects are most notable because a combination of CGI and practical gives the film a dreamlike, yet grounded feel. Plenty of action is enhanced by effects in The Matrix, but the highlight has to be the shootout in the lobby because it is done without CGI. Painstaking work was put into actually dismantling that lobby and it paid off. Next, the production design of The Matrix builds a sleek world of green hues and leather jackets that still inspires aesthetics today. The dystopian future is appropriately bleak while the computer world is appropriately polished.
Meanwhile, The Matrix has dynamic camerawork. Its use of the bullet time effect has become synonymous with the film and is even known as "the Matrix effect". The sound design is surreal and the music is borderline iconic. The story is philosophical and trippy. Lastly, the direction is wonderful because The Matrix has such a precise style. Its combination of eastern and western action, its slick fashion, and its futuristic visuals create an experience that cannot be replicated. Because The Matrix is jam-packed with so much excitement, flair, and abstraction, it is a generational experience.
Writing: 9/10
Direction: 10/10
Cinematography: 9/10
Acting: 8/10
Editing: 8/10
Sound: 9/10
Score/Soundtrack: 9/10
Production Design: 10/10
Casting: 8/10
Effects: 10/10
Overall Score: 9.0/10
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The Matrix is a blessing to cinephiles all around the world. It is a mixture of "groundbreaking" cutting-edge technology, Jim Woo gunfight scenes, Yuen Woo-Ping martial art, philosophical sci-fi ideas executed perfectly in a neo cyberpunk world. The movie takes a lot of inspiration from other great movies and wears it on its sleeve but balances it by being fresh and unique. It does not feel derivative. The direction of The Wachowski's is impeccable and their ideas are visionary and used in this movie.
The Matrix at its thematic core is - based on two questions "What is the Matrix ?" and is "Neo the One ?" The movie exploring the first question gives the worldbuilding to the audience in an efficient manner but doesn't make it boring. The first half of the movie leaves you intrigued about the world and it makes you want to know more about this world. It makes you sit through a 15-minute exposition scene which is executed interestingly with the Oracle (played by Gloria Foster) and Neo(played by Keanu Reeves).
The second question deals with the character development of Neo, Trinity, Morpheus and the supporting cast and Dozer is the standout in the supporting cast. It deals with the choices made by Neo to save Morpheus in the second act and that question makes you care about Neo's character so much. He is confused about whether he is the Chosen One but he still makes the brave choice. That makes him likable and human throughout the movie, the audience feels dread for him and, the setup for him becoming the one is executed perfectly so when the payoff happens and Neo believes he is the One and he stops the bullets from the Agents and the theme crescendo happens it feels satisfying and ends his character arc on a high with his purpose being to save humanity from the Matrix.
The performances by Lawrence Fishburne as Morpheus, Carrie Annie Moss as Trinity, and Keanu Reeves's Neo are the heart of this movie. They carry the emotional weight of this movie. Hugo Weaving as Agent Smith is amazing and an iconic role referenced in pop culture to this day. Gloria Foster as Oracle is a solid performance and she had a hard job to execute which she played to perfection.
Overall The Matrix is a mixture of great ideas and spot-on execution. The cutting-edge technology helped by the fact being a modest budget helps this movie to be more creative in ideas and to use technology properly. This makes the Matrix a movie remembered for the ages to come.
By @s.sohan2005
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