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Tarsem Singh

Self/less * Tarsem Singh (2015)

A rich, old and sick businessman runs into a company that can transplant his mind to a younger body. He is promised that the body is genetically manufactured.

It soon becomes clear, though, that his mind is transplanted into the body of another person whose mind also still ‘resides’ in the body. This somewhat unlikely scenario is worked out alright to make a bit of a thriller about a man hunted by a company that wants to keep some secrets.

The film has many drama and some thriller elements. It is not worked out into an overly elaborate story like we see so often nowadays. It makes a fair drama thriller.

The Cell * Tarsem Singh (2000)

I totally forgot that I already saw this film. It took so long for two reaons. First, I keep mixing it up with The Cube, which is a great film, but I am sure that I saw that one. Second the presence of J-Lo which, to me, is not a reason to watch it (again). Actually “The Cell” is a very good variation on the milked-out serial killer thriller, where Singh mixes elements of “Inception” through a quite typical serial killer film. The FBI is on the hunt for an of course very weird serial killer. They look for the help of a group of scientists who have a very experimental approach to the treatment of people in a coma. Based on that second point, Singh had the opportunity to create elaborate fantasy worlds and in the second half of the film, pretty dark fantasy. Lopez proves to be a descent actress able to carry the film and Singh did not too abundently use her status as beauty-queen. “The Cell” is not completely convincing for the entire duration, but has a good ballance between ‘real’ and fantasy (sometimes reminding a big of Del Torro) and a good atmosphere.

The Fall * Tarsem Singh (2006)

The FallThe Dali-like cover caught my attention and the cover represents the film very well. “The Fall” opens with a very strange scene, but basically is about a young girl who stays in some 18th century hospital where she meets a young man who tells her stories. The stories are pictured in elaborate colours, with grand stages and costumes. The dreamy atmosphere that becomes darker as the film progresses reminds a bit of “El Laberinto Del Fauno” or “The Fountain“, but is is not that elaborate of fantasyfull. A nice film that initially looks like a family film, but the last part where story and reality start to mix the light tone disappears.