Movie review – “The Matrix” (1998) ****1/2

Saw this on pay TV recently and despite the crappy sequels and rip offs (did any recent film establish so many clichés so soon?) it holds up exceedingly well – a consistently imaginative, bold, emotional piece of work. OK, yes, it does borrow from a whole smorgasboard of inspirations (notably Star Wars) but combines it into something truly original. Keanu is, well, Keanu – but he looks good in the black outfits and his slightly dazed what-am-I-doing expression suits the role. Carrie Ann Moss is a knock out as the bad ass girl, and Laurence Fishburne handles one of the most difficult Basil Exposition roles in recent years with admirable aplomb. For all the gee whiz of the special effects (and they are gee-whiz here, with a particularly skilful use at using human creepy feelings towards bugs and babies), its the human element which made it strike such a chord. That and the cleverness of the central concept. So you don’t mind so much when watching Keanu and Hugo Weaving – perhaps two of the most whimpy action heroes in the past ten years – battle it out to the death.