rm | the matrix again (Reply)

Okay, all the mythology. Ships named Icarus and Logos!

Zion was -- well I'm mixed on it -- looks great, the machine level is fantastic (I'd love to see what the Wachowski's would do with Elizabeth Hand's Araboth), the moment where Neo and Trinity get out of the elevator and there are all those pilgrims and he doesn't know what to do -- brilliant, very creepy, rather moving -- and it was the first of several moments that made me think, that yeah, Keanu can act, just not with his voice.

Trininty Trinity Trinity. She's not an attractive woman. Not conventionally, not in the face, not with makeup that makes her look like she's been perpetually crying and that combined with being unbelieveably tough (don't worry, her being Neo's love interest has not made her soft AT ALL) -- she is so hot.

I do wish they had better explained her ruthless protection of Neo when that chick/program thing wants to kiss him -- was it "she's a program and that's bad" or what it a jealousy thing? or both?

Would also like to note that the sex scene in Zion between her and Neo was really hot, and oddly emotional. Would also like to note that while the big party in Zion was this close to being unbearable and silly and "this is a marketing moment!" -- it was also ultimately hot and had the excellent effect of truly making the humans seem exactly what Agent Smith describes them as in the first film -- filth and insects. Mirroring this are some amazing shots of those squid things, and you have to wonder just who is the filth and insects.

All that business at the end with the Architect -- so fucking smart. Neo as the personification of the necessary flaw in the system. Zion having been rebuilt six times (oh here's another thing in the film -- track on numbers whenever they're used -- because they're always a reference to something in mythology, religion or technology), the choice to destroy almost everything or everything. And of course the choice Neo makes.

And while you see it coming, because you have to see it coming, because maybe you didn't expect this to be a love story, but come fucking on -- when he does it, it's still galvanizing and all of a sudden it's like "oh, heheh, this is 2001 for the Mountain Dew generation. Gotcha."

The Trinity/Neo stuff is all really good -- and I'm trying to figure out how to explain how. It's not healthy of course -- the great movie romances never are -- it's one of the things we suffer for in each generation as we become a more media saturated culture -- but it's fucking gorgeous in its symbiosis. It's not about need. It's about two people who have creeped up inside each other and while it makes them both stronger they are surely somewhat damned for it (that, btw was one of the profoundly jarring thematic elements for me).

Also - -the French dude -- brilliant. The KeyMaker. Yeah, man.

And finally -- I love the very tightly modulated bit back speaking style that's used throughout the film. Morpheous does it, Agent Smith, the Architect, etc. The film only weakens in my mind when that leaves us for the big epic speech in the caverns of Zion.

And yes, I'm leaving out the big spoiler.

Ultimately, this is a film made by people who love movies, and aren't ashamed of that fact. It is not perfunctory in that adoration, nor closed in its ambition. Which made it uniquely relevant to what interests me these days.

Also, generally I see movies and I say to myself, "man, all that scary physical stuff is really going to be very hard for me as a performer sooner or later" and I saw this and was like "yeah! I wanna do that." Which is not usually the sort of adventure I go for. Pretty neat.

P.S. -- I am all about Neo's costume.