Trance Directed by: Danny Boyle Starring: James McAvoy, Vincent Cassel, Rosario Dawson Rating: R Release Date: April 5, 2013
Trailer Score: 9/10
Thoughts by TSR: I mean it in the best way possible when I say that this whole thing made me very uncomfortable. It actually brought to mind the craziness that was found in this trailer for Cosmopolis (which was one of my favorite trailers of last year). This red band look at Trance does a good job laying out the basic idea, all while showcasing a lot of Danny Boyle weirdness. There's something about Rosario Dawson's voiceover that is really creepy to me, and I like the look Boyle and cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle are going for – especially the super vivid colors as James McAvoy rides "in the passenger seat of an open top car, driving through the countryside with a beautiful young woman." The eerie music helps bring it all together.
As with the Cosmopolis trailer, this one also builds to a climactic gunshot. Instead of Robert Pattinson shooting his hand, it's McAvoy shooting Vincent Cassel. Now, what follows is an amazing, memorable moment. It's the type of thing that has me wanting to see Trance immediately. That being said, part of me wishes I hadn't seen it. I can only imagine how unsettling it would be watching the film for the first time and seeing a half-headed Cassel rise up and start talking. I'm not going to knock this trailer for including an amazing moment, though. And if this is the type of stuff they are giving away now, I trust there is plenty being saved for the finished product. Boyle's last two efforts, Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours, are both films I'm a modest fan of. Trance looks like something I could love.