Eye of the Beholder
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Movie Reviews of Eye of the Beholder
Movie Review: Interpretation is also in the eye of the beholder...
Summary: 4 Stars
Unfortunately, this is one of those films that falls in the "pick apart" category for most people. Why ? From other reviewers the feelings are mixed. It is a film where many viewers find themselves asking if what Joanna's father did to her justifies her reason for committing the crimes.Does such an excuse or reason hold water for the plot in this story? What they fail to remember is some of the "damage" caused by her other late life experiences which included her correctional mentor played by Genevieve Bujold.Personally, for me the feelings are somewhat mixed, too, since I had previously seen Ashley Judd play a victim in Double Jeopardy. In Eye, she is also a victim of circumstances that reads like a laundry list ( from her father abandoning her, to a correctional system where she fell through the cracks). She is literally a victim of circumstances who shows us what happens when the end result is a trip down a dark abyss of madness instead of one of hope and redemption(redemption for her acts, not from the acts committed upon her by others). You often see films where such dark characters somehow make ammends or climb out of that abyss.
On the flipside, the Eye (Ewan McGregor) finds himself trying to cleanse his conscience and soul of guilt for not being there for his daughter. For the Eye, not in an incestuous or twisted sense, Joanna is very reminiscent of that missing daughter and wife. One of the best lines in the film is ,"I'm a daddy who has lost his little girl. You're a little girl who has lost her daddy." The director or writer could have easily written the typical background cliche where both daughter and wife were killed due to one of his dangerous missions. Or, his daughter could have been killed with wife surviving and leaving him with the blame. It is haunting (no pun), yet captivating how the writer gave the viewer the impression in the beginning that the Eye's daughter was dead. However, she still is an actual "ghost" of his conscience and past. It is through Joanna that he attempts to redeem himself; That is his obesession. That is his weakness...
The only other film that comes to mind with almost similar story lines is Basic Instinct. The only major difference is there was nothing at all helpless or remotely redeemable about sharon Stone's character; She simply killed men for the thrill of it !
Movie Review: Not as bad as people make it out to be
Summary: 4 Stars
Based on the almost universal panning of this movie as one of the worst ever, I avoided seeing it for quite a while. Finally I broke down and watched it one night and honestly do not understand all the criticism. I thought it was a fairly engrossing movie that kept me interested throughout the entire film.To address a couple common complaints about the movie... A lot here say it was extremely confusing. Although not a traditional plot for a movie, I didn't really see all that much to be confused about, it was fairly straightforward. Most people seem to hate the movie for the ending alone. While I agree its kind of an 'open' ending, its not that its necessarily bad. There's basically 2 things that could possibly occur after the ending of the movie (I won't reveal them for spoiler sake). Why is it so bad that the writer doesn't tell you which of the 2 things occurred? Because it wasn't important to the story what happens afterwards, it was everything leading up to that point that was important.
While you are kind of thrown into the whole plot without much upfront explanation, Ewan's character is thrown into his feelings just as suddenly and that is when the story begins. Throughout the film you piece together bits and pieces of each characters past to make you understand why they are doing the things they do and what led up to them. Its basically a contrast of 2 people who have suffered great loss and how they cope with it.
I also found the camera effects to be very good as well as good acting through the film.
So if you need a movie where everything is tied up nice and neat at the end, this may not be for you, but other than that there really isn't too much to dislike about it. Give it a try.
Movie Review: Another View Point
Summary: 4 Stars
The Eye (Ewan McGregor) is a techno security nebbish for the British government assigned to watch after the wayward son of a high government official. What he observes is the murder of the son by a beautiful woman for whom his shock quickly descends into an erratic obsessive love beyond the call of duty. The murderess, Johanna Eris (Ashley Judd) kills every man who yearns to get close having been deserted as a child by her father. Problematic to the story is the audience's realization that years before The Eye crossed the threshold from reality to fantasy loosing his daughter with whom he continues to converse, a ghostly reminder of his lonely existance. Director Stephen Elliot (Pricilla, Queen of the Desert) earnestly tries to pull off this muddled murder-thriller. Elliot wants to overwhelm his audience with the idea of love out of control and the haunted emotions of longing and loneliness, but he is unable to rise beyond the problematic script. Judd is distant, an iceberg far from sexy, her acting is anything but compelling in the role of an older woman. Ewan McGregor, cast against type succeeds in bringing sympathetic pathos to his hunt with desperation and the need to find the daughter he's lost. The surprising small cameos of Jason Priestley as a evil drug-head, and Genevieve Boujould are high points in the film. Nevertheless, the film is long on concept and short on follow through. Critics and audiences hated this film, but it is not altogether bad nor an incomprehensible film. The DVD version includes commentary by director Elliot, deleted scenes, and an alternative ending that should have been left in the film. It's a good rental film and worth a look if you enjoy films that are off-center.Movie Review: Stylish and haunting
Summary: 4 Stars
I believe that this film has succumb to the same fate that Kubrick's 'Eyes Wide Shut' did - poor/misleading ad campaigns. I had heard nothing about this film before I went to see it. All I knew was that it starred Ewan McGregor - and as a fan of the actor who knows the type of films he is usually associated with (Trainspotting, The Pillow Book, Rogue Trader) I was not expecting this to be a simple or easy film at all. And thankfully, it was not. I absolutely loved the film and its case study on a man who against his better judgment falls in love with a serial killer. The visuals and characters were all very interesting and while there were a few parts that I found boring, my attention did not wander far. I overheard many, *many*, people say that the film was boring and pointless as they left the theater. Not until I saw the trailers did I realize why so many people were disappointed with the film. It makes the movie appear to be a fast paced thriller - and 'Eye' most certainly *is not*. Ultimately, this is going to be a personal call. If you like complex and (above all else) off-beat films that require you to think, then this is certainly for you. If, however, you prefer explosions and constant gun-fights (I am not suggesting there is anything wrong with that - hell, I'm also a big John Woo fan :), then I would suggest passing on this. Or at least waiting for the video release.
Movie Review: Why this movie is still with me after five years
Summary: 4 Stars
I saw this movie maybe five years ago. I have found myself thinking back on it at the oddest times and without apparent reason. It happened again to me today, and I decided to look on Amazon to see if there were any insightful reviews offering opinions as to why this movie still compels me. I was surprised to discover that praise for this movie is about as hard to find as WMD in Iraq.
In fact, if you rewrote the bad reviews by keeping all of their points intact, but changed the conclusions to read, "this is why I liked it", you'd be on the right track to finding the film's strengths. I say on the right track because what the film ultimately gives life to is something greater than its many parts. It yields a haunting and compelling image of loss, dissolution, madness, and glimpses of redemption that only highlight how far past saving these characters are. I think about this movie, and I remember the emotions, the mood of it, the way a smell from your childhood can bring long forgotten memories back.