The Matrix Makers

So the creators of "The Matrix"--a movie about a phony world in which it's impossible to tell real from fake--can now create cinema in which it's impossible to tell real from fake. Eerie, huh? Reeves smiles when asked if the topic ever came up during filming. "Yes," he says emphatically. "What's cool about Gaeta, from an actor's standpoint, is that he makes sure you're not totally disconnected from what's being represented. On the other hand, once they have the source material, you, the actor, are no longer involved. And that gives the directors a certain amount of control." And how did you feel about that? Reeves smiles again. "Well, there is a degree of ambivalence."

If he had to be digitally manipulated by anyone, though, Reeves would pick the Wachowskis, whose good-natured perfectionism motivated him like no one else has. "Larry and Andrew were always asking more of us. In the kung fu scenes," he says, chuckling, "they would ask me, 'Can you duck a little bit later?' But I loved it. I loved that we were working on a project that was really reaching." He stops, then pays his bosses the ultimate compliment. "I really miss Neo." Don't worry--in a few months, he'll be everywhere.

© 2002