The Cell

Tarsem Singh hat versucht, das klassische Thriller-Motiv der Fahndung nach einem Massenmörder durch bildende Kunst der Traumausflüge in seinen Geist zu innovieren. Die Thriller-Ebene ist manchmal – auch dank der Musik von Howard Shore – so wirkungsvoll wie die besten Momente in Sieben. Die Traumvisionen sind großartig. Die Kombination dieser Elemente im Film funktioniert aber nicht und macht aus ihm nur ein zerrissenes Film-Experiment. (11.04.2002)

Der zehn Jahre ältere Vorgänger von Inception mit der dichten Stimmung von Das Schweigen der Lämmer oder Sieben. Die Gerüchte, dass Tarsem Singh ein visueller Magier ist, waren zum Glück kein leeres Gerede… The Cell ist wirklich eine Augenweide (bei der Seele sieht es ganz anders aus, manche Szenen sind echt hart). Vorbehaltlose fünf Sterne gebe ich (trotz des faden Vince Vaughn) auch für Shores super seltsame Musik. (01.03.2013)

For those who demand from a film eccentricity, visual impact, and mere deviance from the mainstream, Cela can hit the bull's-eye. The dreamlike scenes are visually provocative, sexually tantalizing, and appropriately imaginative. For those seeking a fully functional, elaborately crafted film with a quality script, Cela will be nothing but a waste of time. Above all, it lacks a captivating story, but also a notable hero. Lopez cannot even be considered an average actress, and she performs best in the film where she doesn't try at all and simply exists — with striking makeup and extravagant costumes. This combination of film experiment and crime genre did not succeed very well. Overall impression: 40%. (17.05.2007)

Apparently, it’s not possible to create anything new in the crime genre, and thus it's up to the filmmaker's imagination and willingness to play with all the established clichés. Tarsem Singh, a young directorial debutant full of predatory Indian blood, conceived the film, for the most part, as a riveting dreamlike escapade in which almost anything is possible. Most filmmakers put the imprint of their soul in their films and frankly, if dream trips are the imprint of Singh's, I wouldn't want to be his psychiatrist. You don’t often see an obscure monstrosity, combining a child's fascination with simple toys (dolls) with a kitschy and exaggerated Bollywood-style set design (creative decorations, costumes), rendered with a few brilliantly executed camera twists and supported by a mesmerizing and maximally "off" soundtrack by Howard Shore. Maybe that's why it's possible to forget about the scriptwriting impotence and enjoy the form to the last drop, which wins overwhelmingly this time and for once it's actually not a bad thing. (11.06.2006)

I like bizarre oddities. I like films that are out of the ordinary, which The Cell undoubtedly is. I like visually sophisticated films, and Tarsem Singh didn't skimp on his directorial ideas and the cinematographer also went the extra mile. Add to that Howard Shore's brilliant, also very catchy and severely underrated soundtrack, then my rating is quite easy. And Lopez can act! (13.01.2003)