This article contains discussion of drug use and drug addiction.
Blisswould have been the perfect Matrix replacement, if not for one problem. The film follows Greg, down on his luck after losing his job and filing for divorce, who meets Isabel, and convinces him that the broken world around them is nothing more than a computer simulation.Blisswould have been the perfect replacement forThe Matrixif it weren’t for its convoluted plotthat contributed toOwen Willson’s shockingly bad Rotten Tomatoes score. That said, while it may not have been rated kindly by critics, there are some rather impressive elements to note inBliss.
Mike Cahill’s sci-fi provides some rather striking visuals that lend themselves to the director’s extremely ambitious vision.Blissfrequently provides thought-provoking social commentary on the consequences of drug addiction and challenges viewers to consider its deeper meaning.According toBliss' Salma Hayek(Isabel), the movie is more of an experience that becomes entirely contingent upon how a person comes to perceive it. The star performances can be captivating, particularly Owen Wilson’s, asthe actor breaks away from the same techniqueshe uses in every movie. However,Blissattempts to cover too much ground, which sacrifices its clarity, resulting in a disjointed and cluttered narrative.
Bliss' Premise Makes It The Perfect Sci-Fi Movie To Follow The Matrix… Almost
There Are Some Prominent Parallels Between The Two Movies
The firstMatrixmovie features one moment in which a man speaks of how the Matrix formulates his reality, and how his lucid moments result in dangerous consequences.Blissuses the premise of the 1999 classicwith crystals that transport the characters into a different world. On the surface, these crystals seem to provide Greg with telekinetic powers. Inspired byThe Matrixand its red and blue pillconcept,Blissexplores an illusional reality that hides the truth beyond our subjective senses. The fundamental question is how individuals conceptualize happiness or suffering, and how these perceptions shape each other’s experience.
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Blisstakes a far more introspective approach thanThe Matrixand considers the psychological effects of questioning true reality. The 1999 cult classic focuses on the battle between humans and machines and ultimately argues in favor of destroying the illusion. WhereasBlissheavily concentrates on the individuals struggling to differentiate these worlds, places that Isabel recommends are better used than feared. This allows the movie to provide a deeper, more intricate approach to the concept.Blissshowcases numerous lucid moments, but by the end of its nearly two-hour run, the movie raises far more questions than it seeks to answer.
Bliss' Narrative Is Too Complicated To Be A Proper Matrix Replacement
There Are Too Many Elements At Play In Bliss
Blissmust be admired for its strong concept that is well set-up but loses itself throughout the film. Isabel summarizes, “most people say, ‘ignorance is bliss,’ but I say you have to experience the good to appreciate the bad,” yet the link between these two worlds is clumsy. It attempts to navigate the analogy of drug addiction with the human experience andincorporates seemingly redundant and overly futuristic components. The director believes that “the movie […] works best if there’s a bistability of interpretations,” (viaGizmodo) but it isthis ambiguity that causesBlissto fall short.
The crystals are a precursor to Greg and Isabel’s romantic connection, who are suggested to be true soulmates between worlds.
Along with this,the romantic storytelling inBlissis detrimental to its narrative. The crystals are a precursor to Greg and Isabel’s romantic connection, who are suggested to be true soulmates between worlds. However, Greg and Isabel’s relationship is depthless as the film simply asserts their romantic ties, without providing any tangible evidence to back it up. Greg returns to his perceived reality at the end of the movie and the couple go their separate ways. It’s clear thatBlissaims to be a more intellectual version ofThe Matrix, but the moral of the film is largely lost in translation.
