Posted by admin on August 24, 2011 in Consultant-Internet ·
| Cast: |
| Jennifer Lopez… |
…Pogue |
| Jim Caviezel… |
…Catch |
| Terrence Howard… |
…Robby |
| Sonia Braga… |
…Mrs. Pogue |
| Jeremy Sisto… |
…Larry |
| Victor Argo… |
…Mr. Pogue |
| Shirley Knight… |
…Eleanora Davis |
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- Directed by: Luis Mandoki
Written by: Gerald Di Pego
Rated R for language, violence and a scene of sexuality
Running Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes
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| Fate’s Twists and Turns |
 Movie marketing never ceases to amaze me. I offer as the latest example the ads for the new film “Angel Eyes.” From the trailers and television spots, the movie looks to be a thriller, or at least a film with a supernatural twist (a la “The Sixth Sense”). “Eyes” is nothing of the sort. Instead, it’s a human drama that slowly and steadily grew on me.The story is of two people isolated through a series of tragic events. For Chicago Police officer Sharon Pogue (Jennifer Lopez), it was growing up in a home riddled with physical, emotional, and psychological abuse. When her father’s violent behavior pushed her to the limit, she took a stand that has haunted her to this day, despite telling herself it was the right thing to do. Her deeply-embedded ferocity makes her a distinctively good cop, but renders her social life nonexistent. One day while sharing some laughs with her fellow officers in a coffee shop, she catches sight of a mysterious drifter gazing at her from the opposite side of the street. An unusual connection of fate is immediately struck, and confirmed when he assists in the apprehension of a suspect.The drifter introduces himself as Catch (Jim Caviezel), but strangely doesn’t offer more insight into his own background. However, it is his endearing innocence that draws the hard-edged officer closer, and soon they are involved deeper than either had anticipated. They share the kind of love that doesn’t two-step its way to “happily ever after”, but rather challenges each person to face the emotional demons rummaging through their respective psyches.I won’t go any further so as not to give away too many details. But I do feel a need to convey the notion that the film is nothing like the ads. I doubt I’ll ever understand the thought processes involved in marketing certain kinds of movies. The “accepted” reason is to lure the largest demographic into theatres on its opening weekend. Although even that logic is a bit flawed, as the result will be a theatre filled with mainly disgruntled movie patrons anticipating a different kind of film altogether, which would lead to bad word-of-mouth, which would subsequently lead to a steady decline in ticket sales.That sort of delirious thinking really takes its toll on movies like “Angel Eyes,” which is actually quite involving but will probably feel the sting of viewers who were expecting “Sixth Sense: Part II.”It’s the kind of love story that gains its emotional potency by not simplifying the needs of the two lovers. The narrative progression isn’t ultra-linear, but plays like life: the characters come to realizations that lead to soul-searching that lead to revelations that in turn lead to more questions, and so forth. The director is Luis Mandoki, who helmed the beautifully observant “When a Man Loves a Woman” about alcohol abuse, yes, but also about how an addict’s recovery can lead to difficulties with those loved ones who unknowingly served as enablers to the disease. He understands the intricacies involved in strained familial relationships and skillfully observes the varied perceptions and labyrinthine maze of emotions involved. He is aided by Gerald Di Pego’s marvelous screenplay that carefully dissects the humanistic conflict brewing between the characters’ moral choices, their psychological wounds, and the powerful parental influences that maintain a perpetual grasp on the mind and soul.Jennifer Lopez turns in a wonderful performance as a streetwise cop as tough as they come, but whose inherent durability is killing her emotionally. Many movies with a hearty heroine headlining the cast have the lead character wear their no-nonsense toughness as a badge of honor. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s refreshing to see a movie wise enough to understand its psychological implications. Through Di Pego’s well-conceived character, Lopez offers a thoughtful depiction of a woman whose feelings are simple enough to identify with, and whose decisions are complex enough to challenge those very emotions.Jim Caviezel (“Frequency”, “Pay It Forward”) somehow manages to create a character whose nomadic wandering is an obvious subterfuge from his own demons, yet doesn’t make him overly cognizant of his need to maintain an emotional distance from his past. His need to be kind is second nature, which helps bring down the blockade surrounding the insecurities of those he loves, and eventually himself.Not a thriller and not saddled with an unimaginable twist at the conclusion, “Angel Eyes” is a quiet human drama about complicated people searching for simple answers to the most complex questions. The movie’s intelligence is clearly displayed in its understanding that kismet doesn’t provide us with the antidote to our deepest emotional ills. Instead, fate simply reminds us that sadness is perhaps the truest definition of what makes us human. The answers we seek often lie in our ability to feel pain, not escape it. |