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The Cell
Original film poster
Directed by	Tarsem Singh
Produced by	Julio Caro Eric McLeod
Written by	Mark Protosevich
Starring	Jennifer Lopez Vince Vaughn Vincent D'Onofrio Jake Weber Dylan Baker Marianne Jean-Baptiste Jake Thomas
Music by	Howard Shore Master Musicians of Jajouka
Cinematography	Paul Laufer
Editing by	Robert Duffy Paul Rubell
Release date(s)	August 18, 2000
Running time	107 min.
Country	USA
Language	English
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

The Cell is a 2000 movie written by Mark Protosevich and directed by Tarsem Singh. Its storyline about an experimental mind-technology permits the staging of several stunning surreal sequences very different from most big-budget Hollywood films. The movie was nominated for the Academy Award for Makeup. Some external scenes in the film were shot at the Neurosciences Institute in La Jolla, California.

Contents 1 Plot 2 Artistic influences 3 Box office 4 Cast 5 References 6 External links

Child psychologist Catherine Deane (Lopez) is an expert in an experimental treatment for coma patients. This involves wearing a virtual reality suit and complete sensory immersion within the minds of her patients in order to coax them out of their coma. Here, she can meet and communicate with them in dream-like sequences. When the serial killer Carl Rudolph Stargher, played by Vincent D'Onofrio, falls into a coma before revealing to police where his last abductee is located, Catherine ventures into his mind to find the answer before it is too late. The story begins inside a little boy's mind with Catherine, dressed in a white gown riding a black horse, in a desert to meet with him.

The scene in which a horse is split into sections was inspired by the works of British artist Damien Hirst, whose works were included in the controversial "Sensation" art exhibition. The film also includes scenes based on the work of other late 20th century artists, including Odd Nerdrum, H. R. Giger and the Brothers Quay. Additionally, some scenes appear to be influenced by the style of Floria Sigismondi and French artists Pierre et Gilles.

The animated sequence that Catherine watches on television near the beginning of the film is from Fantastic Planet, a French animated feature from 1973 which tells the story of humans enslaved as pets by giant blue-skinned aliens. Although not distinctly related, The Cell and the music video for Madonnas "Bedtime Story", directed by Mark Romanek, are very similar in style and narrative.

US box office domestic takings: $61,280,963^[1]

• Jennifer Lopez
• Vince Vaughn
• Vincent D'Onofrio
• Jake Weber
• Dylan Baker
• Marianne Jean-Baptiste
• Catherine Sutherland
• Colton James
• Musetta Vander
• Jake Thomas

1. ^ the-numbers.com, "The Cell" box office data

• The Cell at the Internet Movie Database