With some of the most exceptional and bizarre images ever filmed along with one of the most underrated actors of our time (Vincent D'Onofrio),
The Cell is a visual tour de force.
Jennifer Lopez plays Catherine Deane, a child psychologist that is working on a new method of treatment where she actually "enters" the mind of the children she is treating. While this allows her to provide better, quicker help for the children, not everyone believes in her methods.
At the same time, a serial killer is on the loose. Carl Rudolph Stargher (Vincent D'Onofrio) is a psychotic killer who stalks young women and uses his albino dog as bait for his traps. He then tortures the women in an underground cell, slowly drowning them over 40 hours while videotaping the whole ordeal for his future enjoyment.
FBI Agent Peter Novak (Vince Vaughn) is hot on the trail of Stargher, but before he can apprehend him, Stargher suffers a stroke and they find him in a coma. With Stargher
unable to tell the FBI where his latest victim is trapped, it's a race against time to find her before she drowns.
In an attempt to save Stargher's last victim, Novak and the FBI convince Catherine to enter the mind of Stargher and try to find out where she is being held. This begins what the FBI calls a "drug fueled" exploration into the mind of a serial killer, where Stargher is probably more dangerous than he was in real life.
The visuals and sets in The Cell are just incredible. From Stargher's huge purple cape to the sliced up horse, the images are both beautiful and bizarre at the same time. As a visual interpretation of the mind of a serial killer, it's like being in a horrible nightmare that seems too real. Even nursery rhymes are not safe -- when Stargher starts pulling out Novak's entrails in what appears to be a nursery setting, it's one of the most disturbing scenes in the movie.
But The Cell is not just all visual flash. There is also a lot of substance to this movie. In attempt to explain the motivations of a serial killer like Stargher, we see (in his mind) the horrible experiences he went through as a child. We also meet Stargher as a young child and although we never really feel like his actions were justified, we do feel some sympathy for this young boy trapped in the mind (and body) of an evil serial killer.
The performances in The Cell are also top notch with a great deal of substance. Jennifer Lopez and Vince Vaughn are well cast as the psychologist and FBI agent and work well together trying to save the last victim. But the real standout performance of the film is given by Vincent D'Onofrio as Carl Stargher. D'Onofrio moves effortlessly through so many different aspects of Stargher - innocent little boy, evil serial killer, omnipotent master, etc. - that it is just amazing to watch him in action. Like so many great actors, his appearance is vastly different with each role he plays. In The Cell, he changes drastically from scene to scene and makes it seem natural.
Outstanding performances, beautiful visuals, and the opportunity to watch a great actor in a great role make The Cell a must see film for all, with repeat viewings a requirement to appreciate all the bizarre visual nuances.
The Cell Movie Cast and Credits
Directed by
Tarsem Singh
Written By
Mark Protosevich
Cast (in credits order)
Jennifer Lopez .... Catherine Deane
Colton James .... Edward Baines
Dylan Baker .... Henry West
Marianne Jean-Baptiste .... Dr. Miriam Kent
Gerry Becker .... Dr. Barry Cooperman
Musetta Vander .... Ella Baines
Patrick Bauchau .... Lucien Baines
Vincent D'Onofrio .... Carl Rudolph Stargher
Catherine Sutherland .... Anne Marie Vicksey
Vince Vaughn .... FBI Agent Peter Novak
James Gammon .... FBI Agent Teddy Lee
Jake Weber .... FBI Special Agent Gordon Ramsey
Dean Norris .... FBI Agent Cole
Tara Subkoff .... Julia Hickson
Lauri Johnson .... Mrs. Hickson
John Cothran Jr. .... FBI Agent Stockwell
Jack Conley .... FBI Agent Brock
Kamar De Los Reyes .... Officer Alexander
Christopher Janney .... SWAT Team Member
Nicholas Cascone .... FBI Technician
Joe La Piana .... FBI K-9 Agent
Pruitt Taylor Vince .... Dr. Reid
Jake Thomas .... Young Carl Stargher
Kim Chizevsky-Nicholls .... Stargher's Victim
Jennifer Day .... Stargher's Victim (as Jennifer Dawn Day)
Alanna Vicente .... Stargher's Victim
Aja Echols .... Stargher's Victim
Vanessa Branch .... Stargher's Victim
Elena Maddalo .... Stargher's Victim
Gareth Williams .... Stargher's Father
Glenda Chism .... Woman in Tub
Monica Creel .... Mother (as Monica Lacy)
Joy Creel .... Mother (as Joy Creel Liefeld)
Leanna Creel .... Mother
Alan D. Purwin .... Helicopter Pilot (as Alan Purwin)
Tim .... Valentine
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Calvi Pabon .... Dream Girl (uncredited)
Peter Sarsgaard .... Julia Hickson's Fiancee (uncredited)More Reviews of The Cell
The Cell Movie Review and Information Page at The Internet Movie DatabaseThe Cell Movie Review from Movie Gazette
