The Matrix (1999) - 10/10

Well, we've arrived at the 25th review so its time to mark another milestone with our second 'masterpiece' entry. The Matrix is a revolutionary film for a number of reasons and its legacy in undeniable. This film is also on my shortlist for our 'Deep Dives' section and I will hopefully spend some time really getting into how this movie came to be in the near future. With that said, this review will likely be relatively light on some of the finer details and instead focus on the surface reasons why this film is fantastic. Let's get into the rubric. 

1. Acting

There are a number of great performances in this film. 

First up we have Lawrence Fishburne as the mysterious Morpheus. Fishburne imbues Morpheus with a sense of gravitas in everything he does. His voice immediately provides the character with a sense of credibility which is essential to get the audience to want to jump into Neo's journey for truth. His physicality is also great. I love the way he crosses his arms behind his back when we first meet him. It gives him an otherworldly type of presence while making him seem wise somehow. But maybe what I enjoy most about the performance is how Fishburne understands Morpheus. He understands that this character is both the vessel that provides Neo with the truth to begin his journey, but is also struggling with a crises of faith. On the surface Morpheus seems to be certain of Neo's path, but I see through Fishburne a fear that he may be wrong. He seems like someone who has been fighting for so long and he is desperately throwing all his faith in Neo because he is not certain what will happen if he is wrong. He seems to be at a breaking point. All of this is in the small nuances of Fishburne's performance. 

Carrie-Anne Moss is also fantastic in her portrayal of Trinity. Its a complex character that Moss helps elevate into something special. It is even more impressive considering this was really her first major role after a quiet career in Canadian television shows. Trinity has to be many things. She has to be a fearsome warrior. She has to be effortlessly cool. And she has to be a vulnerable romantic. On top of all that, the role was also very physical and her stuntwork was terrific.

Keanu Reeve's is obviously the focus of the film. It was a smart casting choice as not only was Reeve's an established actor, but he was in a slight trough of success. I also feel like his acting style is a really nice fit for Neo. Reeve's always carries a sense of mysteriousness to himself. On the surface it can seem plain, but there's a clear sense of a great deal of depth bubbling underneath. The emotional arc of Neo also required Reeve's to carry a sense of doubt throughout the entire story. He knows there is something not quite right about the world he is in and he also knows there is something within himself that is missing. The payoff then, is realized in the finale of the movie when Neo starts to believe in himself. All of this works because of what Reeve's brings to the movie. 

Another important actor here is the main villain of the movie played by Hugo Weaving. Weaving seems to be having a shit load of fun playing Agent Smith. He imbues Agent Smith with a sense of mysteriousness and most importantly a feeling of inhumanity. However, Weaving also recognizes that Smith has human traits. He feels anger, frustration, wrath, and eventually fear. The dichotomy of robotic and human nature was something Weaving seemed to understand right away and he crafted a truly iconic villain for the film and series. 

The rest of the cast is also very good. In particular Joe Pantoliano does great work in his supporting role as the secondary villain for the film.

2. Cinematography

This obviously ties in very closely with the VFX section which we talk about later on. For now I will just remark that the shooting style and visual choices in the film are great. I really enjoyed the use of differing color palettes between the real world and the Matrix. The real world is toned down and largely monochromatic. It carries a sense of groundedness the distinguishes itself from the matrix. Inside the matrix, the color tones shift to an almost over-sharpness. As if the computers are overcompensating. 

The other clear shooting 'style' involves a good deal of slow-mo. The origin of the Matrix was actually born from brainstorming sessions trying to think of a new comic that was heavily influenced with Kung-fu movies and cyberpunk aesthetics. The use of slow-mo then feel very fitting considering it creates still frames as if it were from a comic panel. The nods and influences of Japanese anime are also clear in this respect as it helps highlight the superhuman and hyperstylized action of the characters.

3. Production/Costume Design

There are a ton of creative decisions from the production team that makes The Matrix really feel distinct. 

I really enjoyed the choice they made in depicting the computer code representations of the matrix. The falling green source code on a black background was a stark visual and the mix of different languages and characters help create a dual sense of familiarity and alien code. 

The sets used and constructed for the film are also great. The rundown buildings used by the characters, the Dojo, the subway, the Oracle's apartment, almost every location inside the matrix feels both real and fake at the same time. The real world locales used for filming were also smartly chosen. They specifically avoided any well known locations to make sure there was a sense of generic cityscape to all of the scenes; again distorting the line of real and fake.

4. Writing

The Matrix, for obvious reasons, has to be a very exposition heavy script. However, the exposition dumps from the characters always seemed to be done in compelling ways. For example, Morpheus' explanation of the matrix to Neo is inter-cut with a visual montage that helps keep the audience engaged. It may not follow the 'show don't tell' ethos, but there is a lot of lore to cover and by tackling visual storytelling with the exposition goes a long way. 

In the Deep Dive I will hopefully go more in depth on some of the themes and influences on The Matrix, but for now I will just say that I enjoyed the plot of the film and its structure. Despite its high concepts, the story is approachable and the recycling of a classic superhero origin structure manages to still feel fresh thanks to all of the unique details and direction of the world-building.

5. Sound Design

The sound design of the film is yet another strength of the film. The stylized and kung-fu nature of the whipping sounds in the fight scenes for example felt like a great idea to sell the exaggerated and unreal nature of things within the matrix. 

The score and soundtrack for the film are also great. The film leans into its cyberpunk and counterculture influences and the soundtrack does a great job matching that tone. The score helps sell the digital and reality-bending moments inside the matrix. And the use of metal tracks from bands like Rage Against the Machine, Rob Zombie and Rammstien fit the aggressive and violent nature of the action scenes.

6. Editing

The editing of the film ties in nicely with the cinematography and VFX. The film feels nicely paced and the action is cut nicely to highlight the stylized visual and choreography.  

7. Visual Effects

The Matrix helped pioneer a lot of the style and CGI techniques that would populate post Y2K action movies. Again, I will reserve a more detailed account for the Deep Dive but the biggest and most iconic example of  this was 'bullet time'. The ingenuity involved in crafting the VFX for the film and its boldness in creating something new helped inspire CGI and its use in film for the next few decades.

8. Originality or Strength of Adaptation

While there are some familiar concepts and influences that went into developing The Matrix, it is undoubtedly a highly original film. It is incredibly stylish and has a very high concept to its science fiction. It's crazy that this film even got made.

9. Stunt Coordination

The stuntwork being done in the film is top notch. In particular, I love when the cast of actors are willing to jump in and do a lot of their own stuntwork. It really opens up the filmmakers ability to create longer shots since they are not restricted to using certain angles or frequent cutting to hide the doubles. This was also at a time before digital doubles were feasible and it forced the team to get creative with how to pull certain things off. 

The stunt doubles also did really great work on the film. More than a few doubles had major injuries occur during filming and shows a lot of dedication to nailing the shot and selling the action.

I also really enjoyed the fight choreography. Borrowing heavily from Kung-fu movies, the action style introduced a lot of the general audience to exaggerated wire work and high impact anime style fights.

10. Direction

Honestly, I feel like anything I would say here about the Wachowski sister's work would be insufficient. They had an incredibly bold and inventive vision for this film and managed to execute it brilliantly. They also seem to be great collaborators as they were able to make so many of the facets of the movie work near perfectly with each other.

Legacy/Final Thoughts

I've already described all the different ways I admire what this film was able to accomplish from top to bottom.  Not only was it a commercial and critical success, but it spawned a variety of media to include its own sequels, video games and comic adaptations. It also has had lasting impacts on a variety of genres including sci-fi, action and superhero films. The Matrix is a truly iconic piece of sci-fi history.