1. Poor Casting
While Vincent Cassels Franck has a disposable gang of henchmen and Tuppence Middleton doesnt even get a character name as dream girl/victim, Trance is essentially a three-hander. As Simon, James McAvoy is charismatic and likable but the casting of Vincent Cassel and Rosario Dawson feels wilfully perverse. In a role originally earmarked for hunk of burning love Michael Tripod Fassbender, Cassel just seems out of place. Hes a great actor but, as handsome, suave, criminal masterminds go, he makes a much better Satanic goat-boy. Check out Sheitan and youll see what I mean. For the role of cultured hypnotherapist and manipulative femme fatale Elizabeth, Scarlett Johansson, Mélanie Thierry and Eva Green were all considered before Danny listened to his loins and cast the toothsome Ms Dawson. Now, Im not trying to suggest that Rosario cant act: she was quite good as the junkie stripper with HIV in Rent, and as the vigilante hooker in Sin City. She was even convincing as the manager of a fast food franchise in Clerks 2. But as a duplicitous femme fatale hypnotherapist who programmes some poor sap to steal a priceless painting for her? Not so much. For starters, she doesnt really strike you as someone youd pay to go rooting around in your mind. Your pants maybe. She does make a very good junkie stripper. Plus, her master plan results in five violent deaths, one of them an innocent woman. Considering her actions are framed as justifiable feminist revenge against misogynistic patriarchal society (in a fit of pique after he slaps her, she wipes her boyfriends mind and programmes him to trouser the painting), the fact that she gets a sister strangled is quickly glossed over. I cant help but think that if maybe theyd cast Eva Green, the plan mightve gone a bit smoother. But then she probably wouldnt even have gone offscreen for her personal shave... What did you think of Trance? Share your thoughts below.