The Animatrix: A Detective Story

Ash is a private detective who is down on his luck. Tired of investigating cheating wives for suspicious husbands, he stares at his empty bank account and empty fridge and he decides that this business is not for him. It is then he gets a call and payment from a mysterious employer who asks him to find the hacker `Trinity'.

Opening with a great atmosphere of noir detective thrillers, this film continues in this vein until it turns into a confrontation on the train with some agents. Part of the series of animations making up the Matrix companion piece `The Animatrix', I saw this as a stand alone piece recently at a festival of shorts and animations and it stood out for me thanks to this same style. However the substance is also engaging even if it takes liberties at times, the length of time it takes the agents to come down the carriage for example, or the sudden semi-understanding that Ash seems to have near the end. Despite this, the plot still works pretty well - certainly enough to hold the style in check.

Visually, the short is great. It creates a sense of period that isn't undone by the agents, guns or Trinity. It feels like it was charcoal drawn (it wasn't) and it really feels moody and dark. Also, out of all the entries in the series, this is the one that gets the look and feel of the agents down best. The voice work is good as well with good input from Moss; who's incarnation here manages to look feminine - a feat she failed to accomplish in the last two of the films!

Overall this is a good film even if it loses it's way substance-wise at times. It is dark and brooding and has a conclusion that befits the look and feel of the film. All round one of the best of the series.

One of the 9 shorts of the Animatrix, this one tells the story about private detective Ash, who is hired to get a hold on Trinity, in his eyes just a computer hacker.

Ash seeks contact and finally finds Trinity, only to find out how things aren't really as they are.

The animation is stylish and one of the best of the series, atmosphere is good as well but something is lacking. Like the whole animatrix series is lacking. Still, it is one of the best of the bunch (after 'Osiris' and 'Beyond').

6/10.

Wow, its been quite a while since I've watched anything so mysterious in the way it is portrayed.

A Detective Story uses old fashioned black and white images to portray a private investigator who dresses in an old fashioned trench coat and hat. The theme of this animation is reminiscent of that of Sam Spayed which was briefly mentioned by Ash.

Sick of spying on cheating house wives because of his clients, Ash was offered a chance to track down a "computer hacker" which he thought was a worthwhile chance for a four figure sum he could not turn down and the rest is history.

The ending was a little bit bland but still okay. For those out there who like old fashion stories this is the one for you.

I love film noir. The aesthetic, the mystery, the cynicism; it all really appeals to me. In this Animatrix short Ash, a private detective is hired to find Trinity. All other PIs have failed to locate her, either winding up dead or crazy. But Ash perseveres and meets with Trinity on a lonely train, where the Agents are waiting to apprehend them.

Although featuring modern technology the rest of the animation design is of 1940s vintage. This is my absolute favorite look for movies. I wish my whole life was a film noir. If I could go into the Matrix I'd ask the Agents to make that wish come true. One of the better Animatrix shorts and a great short in its own right.

This is one of the anime films from The Animatrix collection, one of nine - the only one done in black and white, and the only one featuring Trinity. Richly textured and beautifully rendered in every way, and the animated version of Trinity definitely does her justice. If you're a fan of The Matrix, you will need to put this on your short list.