Films to See Before You Die: #70 The Matrix

The Matrix (1999)

Directors: Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski

Cast: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving

Synopsis: Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) is a man living two lives, by day he is an average computer programmer and by night a hacker known as Neo. After being contacted by another hacker Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), Neo has his first encounter with Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) who works with Morpheus. Morpheus is wanted by the authorities and after they realize he has contacted they arrest Neo who is questioned by Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving). When Neo and Morpheus finally meet he offers Neo a chance to see the Matrix, after being “woken up” Neo realizes that the world he lives in is just an illusion. After learning about the truth Neo is trained in order to survive the Matrix and the dodge the agents. After an assignment they are on goes awry Morpheus is abducted by the agents and the rest get away. Neo and Trinity decide to go back in to rescue Morpheus, leading to a final confrontation between Neo and Agent Smith.

Trivia: According to Lana Wachowski, for the slow-mo bullet ripple effects, Sound Designer Dane A. Davis put bullets on strings and whirl them around his studio. Also he digitized raindrops against window panes to create the sound of the Matrix code. In the combat training program before Keanu Reeves starts his furious attacks on Morpheus, he rubs his nose with his thumb and finger, a similar mannerism of Bruce Lee before he attacks on his opponents. The move was improvised by Reeves.

Why I think you should see this: The Matrix blew me away as a kid in the cinema, I was in love with the movie. This movie revolutionized the FX game for movies with the slow motion fighting scenes. Keanu Reeves is very good as Neo and Laurence Fishburne is also awesome as Morpheus. The real star here is Hugo Weaving as Agent Smith he steals the show as the films primary villain. Although the sequels are nowhere near as good it doesn’t hurt to watch them but this film does hold up very well on it’s own. A must see for any action fan.