Level Orange

My son gets bigger every day. My wife and I get older every day. My job gets more complicated every day. People still insist on adding comments to that Cash Money post that plagues this site every day. And most of all, somehow people still manage to survive every day.

We went to see The Matrix Reloaded this past weekend, and while it would seem that some folks are panning the film altogether, I thought it was brilliant. It’s incomplete to be sure, but amazing and profound all the same. After watching The Matrix again afterwards, in hopes of discovering some clues about the third film, things started to come together for me. There are so many levels of storytelling that can be found in these two films alone.

Sure, when I saw The Matrix, the first thing that hit me were the action sequences. I mean, there was no way around them, that’s what filled the seats. But for anyone that saw it more than a couple of times (or just paid enough attention), they discovered that there was even more under the surface. While that film hit us with the question of “reality” and challenging our perception of the world that surrounds us, The Matrix Reloaded took us in a completely unexpected and even more profound direction.

First, it was “What is the Matrix?” Now, it’s become “What is fate? What is control? What is our purpose?” Those questions are no longer confined to the universe of the film, but are now unleashed upon everyone who takes the time to really think about it.

Even though this is a work of fiction, it’s one of those few that makes you think about what you’ve got in front of you, and what you might have had otherwise. The idea that your life could be totally different (for better or worse) and that that could depend on a single decision is always a startling notion. For some, it’s not easy to admit the intrigue such an idea brings, and I’m sure for others, it’s a welcome thought. It’s always fascinated me personally. Maybe that’s why I like films that explore into those unreachable places. Immediately, Vanilla Sky comes to mind, and I know most folks dreaded that one.

If there’s an equation for it, maybe it goes something like this.
Choice + Love + Truth = Life

What Reloaded adds to that equation is the element of hope. Hope that your choices are the right ones, hope that your love will never die, hope that you will find the truth. Hope that life will be what you want it to be.

All of these things come up at one point or another in Reloaded as well as in the first film, which leads me to believe that there’s even more in store in Revolutions. The very nature of reality is questioned to such degree that it makes me wonder if maybe reality is not always defined by what can be seen or touched or heard. Reality might also be defined as the abstract perception of the world around us.

Simple question: Love is real, but how do you feel love?

Yeah, I’ve really gotta see this one again. How can people not be feeling this?