Tuesday 12th of August, 2003
the ultimate adolescent fantasy
During the day I'm back at Walker, reacquainting myself with Maisy and her garishly-coloured friends. Not that I'm complaining - these animals have been very good to me.
Laura calls up to ask whether I'd like to see The Matrix Reloaded at the IMAX. Why not, eh?
We meet up just after 8:00 and have a chat, then go to see the movie.
Not a very good film, it has to be said. In fact the whole experience - IMAX, 3D and all - smacked of culture for an audience who need to be distracted as much as entertained. The content of the trailed films, similarly, was full of superlatives (the biggest, the tallest, the greatest, and so forth). It reminds me of people who try to occupy babies as much as they can in hopes that the wretched child will fall asleep and leave them in peace. In short, the entire experience embodies everything The Matrix was supposed to be attacking. The film itself extends this hypocrisy - on the one hand it flaunts disciplines such as kung fu, on the other characters acquire skills, powers, status without any need for work whatsoever. It's the ultimate adolescent fantasy, Effortless Mastery, the dream that one doesn't need to work to achieve anything, but rather that one might acquire powers from a passing supernatural being or being bitten by a radioactive spider or by being identified as The One. Hogwash.
