Cannes: Matrixmania Begins with Eyewear
The preview of Matrix Reloaded, the second episode of the science fiction saga which began in 1998, took place last Thursday at the Cannes Film Festival. The non-competing Wachowsky brother's movie will be in Italian cinemas from May 23. Apart from the exceptional cast (including Keanu Reeves and Monica Bellucci), special effects and an awesome plot, the movie also hit the mark with its outfits and cascade of gadgets. Everybody's already talking about "matrixmania", the trend that has made real cult objects out of the accessories used in the film, starting with the futuristic sunglasses worn by the protagonists.
The models were produced by New York-based Blinde Design Project LLC. As in the previous episode, the glasses worn in this film and which will be seen again in the coming third episode, (Matrix Revolutions), were designed by Richard Walker, a young US designer who is now a veteran when it comes to frames for Hollywood: as well as the Matrix models, Blinde's designer also made the glasses worn by the three protagonists in Charlie's Angels and those Angelina Jolie wears in her role as Lara Croft in Tomb Raider.
In all the episodes of The Matrix glasses played a major part in the characterization of the personalities: even the costumes were chosen as a function of their shape. Walker therefore decided to launch a new line of sunglasses in time for the second episode and they'll be available immediately after the preview of the movie (even though imitations have already begun to appear).
Fans were particularly struck by the glasses worn by Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), one of the heroes in the film who, together with Trinity (Carrie Ann Moss) and Neo (Keanu Reeves), must free the world from artificial intelligences. They have a temple-less frame with lenses supported by a simple, adjustable titanium ring.
