Trance

Filmmaker Danny Boyle's latest focuses on an ingenious art heist in London. Trances begins with fine art auctioneer and our narrator Simon (James McAvoy) detailing the elaborate precautions that the Delancey Gallery takes to protect its multimillion-dollar paintings. We learn that just as Witches in the Air by Spanish artist Francisco Goya came on the auction block, thieves brazenly stormed in. Grabbing the Goya masterpiece and dashing for safety, Simon was later clobbered on the skull by Franck (Vincent Cassel), one of the thieves. Waking up, co-conspirator Simon has not only lost all memory of what happened but also cannot remember where he put the painting—which is frustrating to his fellow thieves, who have been busy torturing him to find out. Exasperated, Franck finally decides to allow Simon to try hypnosis in order to cure his amnesia. Simon goes to hypnotherapist Elizabeth Lamb (Rosario Dawson), saying he's lost his car keys. Although realizing he's not telling the truth, she offers to help him recover his memory. And then Trance really gets complicated. What is perception? What is reality? And how does the psyche know the difference? Psychological thrills abound as the provocative plot twists and turns, while flashing backwards. A surreal, enigmatic, cleverly ambiguous brain-teaser, this is recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include “The Power of Suggestion” making-of featurette (34 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are deleted scenes (17 min.), a retrospective featurette on director Danny Boyle (15 min.), the 2012 short film “Eugene” by Spencer Susser (13 min.), and a bonus UltraViolet copy of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for an engaging thriller.] (S. Granger)